


Packing a Punch

by TardisCrew



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Adventure, Chases, Danger, Doctor Fights, F/M, Forced to perform, Rescue, Slaves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:13:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 55,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22283923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisCrew/pseuds/TardisCrew
Summary: What started as an innocent trip turns into an adventure as it often does.  The Doctor tries to fix the TARDIS but an innocent visit to a parts shop turns sour which leads to a daring rescue, an Earth woman misplaced in time and the Doctor and Rose taken to another world where they are expected to provide ‘special services’ for buyers.  I know, I know it’s a trope but I’m taking a crack at it.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Comments: 80
Kudos: 70





	1. Chapter 1

“Doctor,” Rose cajoled, “I’m just gonna pop out to the market yeah?” 

“Absolutely not Rose Tyler!” the Doctor responded with a firm tone of voice. “You are not, under any circumstances, going to the market on a strange planet alone.”

Kneeling down and looking under the console Rose took in his disheveled appearance. He’d been at it for days and his frustration showed. He’d tossed his jacket on the console bench, rolled up his sleeves and his hair was a tussled mess. In short he was gorgeous but the absolute topper - he was wearing his glasses. They always made her stomach flutter, made her feel hungry and that just increased her current frustration. She wanted to jump him right now, right here, but that wasn’t allowed.

The fact he was wearing his glasses told her his eyes were tired and no wonder. The TARDIS couldn’t travel in time until he fixed her and that meant they were trapped in the future for now. He was the only one left in the universe who fix the blue box. At least the planet they were on was used to alien visitors come to trade and the Doctor said there was a good local market but he would not permit her to go alone. She knew he was probably right and had her best interests in mind but she was being driven spare.

“I’m bored,” she declared with a slight whine.

“Rose,” he responded with a bit of an edge to his voice, “you’re in the finest ship in the universe, practically infinite she is, yet you can’t find something to do?”

She could hear the irritation in his voice and knew it wasn’t directed at her so much as at his own frustration he’d been unable to repair his ship. Feeling sorry for him and a bit ashamed she stood.

“I know you’re working hard Doctor. I didn’t mean to complain. I just miss doin’ stuff with ya is all. I’ll go faff about in the library for awhile. I’ll be back ‘n bring a cuppa later.”

“You’re not looking for more bodice rippers are you? Not good for your disposition I would observe. Best not stir the juices, Rose.”

Icily she replied, “No not lookin’ for that. I was thinkin’ to find out anything I could about ‘juiceless’ Time Lords.” With that she stomped out of the console room.

“They’re all written in Gallifreyan!” he called after her. The Doctor chuckled to himself knowing he’d got her goat but that would just fire her up. He missed her too so whether the TARDIS was fixed or not he’d take her for a quick jaunt to the market after supper. Hopefully that would take the edge off her boredom.

By the time she showed up with tea, he’d showered and shaved and was waiting for her.

“You have a choice Rose. We can go to the market after tea and eat out or we can go after supper here. What’s your choice?” 

Instantly her face lit up and she enthused, “Can we go now, right after tea? Please?”

It wasn’t long before Rose was pacing with nervous excitement trying to hurry him along as he deliberately savored his tea banging on about it’s qualities and properties. She knew he was deliberately having her on but she wanted to get going so she lifted his coat from where he habitually threw it and shoved it at him.

She was dragging him through the blue doors by the hand which was fine by the Doctor because it optimized his view of the best part of planetfall - the look on Rose Tyler’s face when first she set foot on a new planet. Today was no exception.

Her face lit up as she took in the saturated purple sky as massive fluffy white clouds drifted across it’s canvass. But the incredible sky was further highlighted by huge, orange-barked trees dotted across the landscape. They all had branches that grew in a corkscrew fashion with clusters of giant red leaves. It almost hurt the eyes. The only relief from the riot of complimentary colors was the ground which largely ran a brownish black. There were bright yellow, red and blue bushes here and there but overall it looked like an illustrated storybook. 

“Wow,” Rose exclaimed, “Look at the colors. It’s amazin’!”

As the Doctor locked the TARDIS doors he explained, “This planet’s sun is brighter and bluer than good ole Sol, hence the saturated colors and the lackluster greens which read as browns and black.”

But Rose was hopping up and down with excitement pointing at the huge, bustling market sprawled across the landscape. Looking around him the Doctor saw a number of off-world ships to the left being unloaded. That troubled him. Markets where off-worlders could set up a booth tended to be less regulated and more dangerous. He took Rose’s hand.

Despite all the excitement around her, Rose picked up on the Doctor’s wariness and saw him looking around and frowning.

“What is it Doctor?” she asked.

“The market is much larger than when I was last here and it looks like there are vendors from other planets. It used to be locals only. It’s more dangerous now. We need to stick together and stay alert and no food or drink without checking with me.”

Rose nodded her agreement. She respected the care he took with her safety but often felt he over did it. Still, he had good instincts so she’d be careful. Taking his hand they set off for the market. She had enough experience from their travels to know that beautiful planets were susceptible to visits from unsavory types. In fact beautiful planets tended to attract them because there were more marks ripe for the picking on beautiful planets. But she was happy to be with the Doctor on a new world with all the sights and sounds of an alien marketplace just up ahead. She couldn’t wait!

“Ya gonna be lookin’ for any parts here Doctor?” Rose asked as they walked along.

“Yeah, I have to take advantage of every opportunity. It’s too late to go looking if the old girl’s already stationary.”

“Should we do that first then? Maybe we can find something to help ya with whatever you’re tryin’ to fix yeah?”

“Hope so,” he agreed squeezing her hand.

Not all parts shops were sleazy but a lot were. Often they were nothing more than junkyards. Other times they were relatively organized warehouses with parts organized by type. That’s what the Doctor was hoping for because he didn’t want Rose waiting for him in a sleazy place where, more often than not, ruffians were found and there was only one rule. Be prepared to defend yourself because no one else would.   
Because he didn’t want to delay their exploration of the market while he searched for parts, he brought the sonic into play. He was looking for a particular type of metallurgy so he scanned for it at each location rather than drag them through each building. When he finally detected the right metal he cursed the facility housing it. Just his luck it was run down and the very definition of seedy. But need dictated they go in.

“Rose, what I’m looking for is in here. It won’t take long then we’re free to explore the market. I need you to stay close but I can’t hold your hand. You have to act like you’re my servant slash slave otherwise you could be subject to some very unwanted attention. Above all you can’t talk to me. Just keep your head down and stay close. See this is the kind of place real lowlifes, like slavers are found and if they think you’re free, you’ll be taken. I know that’s a lot to ask but, if you prefer, I’ll take you back to the TARDIS and come get you when I’m done.”

“Blimey Doctor, I wouldn’t ask ya to do that!” Rose declared pulling her hood up over her hair and shoving it in out of view. “I can bow my head and shuffle along behind ya for a bit. Besides we need the part for the TARDIS,” she assured.

“Right then,” the Doctor declared, “let’s get on with it.” He reached for the entrance door almost ushering her in before Rose cleared her throat and he realized his error and swept through first leaving her to struggle her way past the heavy, broad door as it swung back firmly against her arm.

The place was shabby from top to bottom. Although Rose kept her head down, enough so she didn’t risk catching anyone’s eye, even she could see it was mostly derelict. Some of the coarse hewn wood bins had long ago been partially torn from where they were attached and sagged from the weight of their contents. There was dirt and loose debris everywhere. A scrawny, grubby owner or maybe manager of some sort waved them through into the parts area. The Doctor was moving quickly towards the coordinates the sonic had indicated. Rose struggled to follow quickly. Luckily this helped deter any unwanted attention.

Suddenly he barked out, “Keep up!”

It startled Rose and she wasn’t used to the Doctor acting that way but knew there must a reason and then she heard other footsteps approaching in front of the Doctor. Because of the narrow passageways there’d be no avoiding squeezing over to allow passage. But the Doctor was not giving an inch. She didn’t always understand the male way of doing things but even she knew now was not the time to show weakness. She made sure she was moving forward as close to his opposite side as she could. 

The stranger scrunched to pass but, once past them, he turned and grabbed Rose by her hood removing it. Both Rose and the Doctor turned to face the threat at the same time with Rose wrenching her hood free as she brought her knee up and bollocksed him sending him to his knees. Both turned back, Rose putting her hood on and the Doctor barking again for her to keep up.

Another five minutes took them to the right area and the Doctor zeroed in on the metal parts with the right metallurgy. Scanning the parts he picked one out and looked it over carefully. He concluded it had potential. “Let’s get out of here,” he said.

When they saw the man Rose had dropped approaching, this time with two bruiser friends, they knew it was going to get dicey. Rose knew there’d be no one to help them but she wasn’t too worried. The Doctor had the sonic and he could use it to make them pass out. She squeezed over to let him pass and took the part from him. 

It was something to see as it turned out. As they got closer to the ruffians the Doctor raised both hands twitching his fingers at them in a come closer motion which infuriated the oncoming scruff.

Suddenly just before they got too close the Doctor pivoted to one side and lifted a huge bin of parts tossing it end over end. Even Rose was stunned knowing how heavy the bin had to be with all the parts in it. Rose wasn’t alone either. The three ruffians stopped dead taking in the Doctor. It was now a stand off. 

“I’ve made plenty of room for you to pass. Do it now or deal with me!” the Doctor barked. 

Like idiots everywhere they charged forward. Rose stepped back and watched in wonder. The first one threw a punch the Doctor intercepted twisting his arm until he fell to his knees simpering in pain. The second leapt at the Doctor’s torso hoping to pin him on the floor but was swept up by the crotch and the neck and sent pin-wheeling across the bins and the third met the Doctor’s fist and fell to the floor in a heap. 

“Run!” he ordered and like they were shot out of a cannon they leapt over the bodies and down the narrow corridor. As they swept towards the exit the Doctor anticipated more trouble but he was ready. He threw fistfuls of local currency. As the grimy creeps at the entrance scrambled to gather up the money, the Doctor and Rose swept out the door with the part and blended into the market crowd.

“Gawd Doctor, I didn’t know you could throw a punch like that!”


	2. Chapter 2

Rose stared at the Doctor with surprise and admiration. He was a man of action, always on the go and always full of energy but she’d never seen him use his fists before. He hated violence. He refused to use any kind of deadly weapon even for self defense. If pressed he sometimes used the sonic to incapacitate an enemy but more often than not he preferred to run from trouble.

“Wow, Doctor,” Rose enthused, “I didn’t know you could fight like that!”

Glancing at her, he saw the admiration in her face. “The ability to inflict physical pain is nothing to admire Rose. I know how to fight but I don’t like to fight. Unfortunately, if I’d shown weakness in there they would have fallen on us like a pack of wolves. Believe me I would have preferred to run.”

“Yeah, but Doctor it’s not the ability to fight that shouldn’t be admired. Defending yourself is not wrong. Besides you didn’t want to fight. You tried hard to avoid it. But come on! You were brilliant...I mean you took on three blokes at the same time! It was like watchin’ Superman from the comics,” she enthused.

Sighing the Doctor responded, “Rose, my species is stronger than most. It’s just a characteristic like my telepathy. Much more important and worthy of admiration is a person’s character. That’s something everyone has to work on all their lives and it’s the most difficult task of all - being a person of good character.”

“But Doctor you are a person of good character. You always try to do the right thing. You’re my hero Doctor!” Rose smiled up at him.

The Doctor couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you Rose. I suggest we remain watchful. Those men may come looking for revenge. Keep your eyes peeled Lewis.”

“Will do Sarge!” Rose chirped, handing the part they’d escaped with to him and watching as he slipped it into a transdimensional pocket.

Like the colorful landscape, the market was a kaleidoscope of colors, scents and sounds. It was packed which struck Rose as unusual because markets were usually wrapped up before supper hour but here it was different. She attacked shopping in earnest, snagging an attractive shawl for her mother, a pair of tinkling, sparkly earrings for her friend Shareen and a jumper for the Doctor. The jumper was made of fabric so soft she thought he just might wear it when they relaxed in the TARDIS. Since his dressing gown from Howard was getting kinda shabby looking, she bought another for him from the same fabric as well as a jumper for herself. 

She’d just gotten her credit stick back when she noticed the Doctor had been completely sidetracked with monitoring the crowd for threats from the mass of people swirling around them. She realized he couldn’t be enjoying himself so she went to him taking his hand.

“Doctor, it’s not fair you having to stand guard. Come on, let’s go back to the TARDIS. Maybe the part you found will work. Besides I know you’re worried ‘bout those blokes comin’ back for us so let’s not make it easy for them.” She tugged on his arm and he smiled gratefully.

Gradually they worked their way out of the worst of the crowds and noise making it easier to talk. 

“Blimey I’ve never known a market to be this busy this late in the day even on alien planets we’ve visited,” Rose observed.

Nodding, the Doctor offered a theory, “There’s a brisk trade in contraband and pick pocketing at this market. I saw lots of exchanges taking place between, behind and at the booths.” 

“Oh wow that would explain why it’s lost it’s local feel. Guess we’re well outta there. But thanks for taking me Doctor.”

“You’re welcome Rose. What struck your fancy?” he asked looking at her parcels.

“I got you a jumper and dressing gown,” Rose told him, “and they’re made outta this amazin’ soft stuff and a warm shawl for Mum and earrings for Shireen and a jumper for me.”

“Thank you Rose,” he said smiling at her, “but I’m afraid you’ll have to keep the earrings. The jewelry at that booth is made of a metal not present on Earth.”

Rose nodded her understanding. She knew something was up because normally the Doctor carried her parcels for the practical reason it was easier for her to rummage around for more finds. Rose knew he wasn’t carrying them now because he judged they were still in danger. He had to keep his hands free.

Also she knew the Doctor was always chuffed when she bought him something even though she was using his money because he knew she chose for him carefully and thoughtfully. The fact that he hadn’t peppered her with questions about her purchases for him told her how alert he was being to his surroundings. Something had put him on high alert. She saw his eyes flicking around and his head shifting from side to side to pick up sounds only he could hear.

She wasn’t surprised when he said, “Get ready to run Rose. Leave the bags.”

Suddenly an old woman, wrinkled and bent, opened her shop door and croaked, “Enter here and you will be safe. They will not cross here.”

“Go, go Rose. I’ll come back for you with the TARDIS. I can out run them.”

“But Doctor....” Her voice was full of panic at the thought of being separated from him. The old lady had reached her and was tugging her arm as Rose watched the Doctor racing away, taking a wide arc but, just when she thought he was okay and would make it to the TARDIS, she saw him drop in the dirt obviously hit by something. She couldn’t just leave him and she dropped her bags to go to him but to her surprise she was prevented by the surprisingly strong grip of the old woman on her arm.

“Let me go!” Rose commanded.

“No, you’re the only one who can save him but if you don’t come inside you’ll both end up dead. Come! You can watch from inside!”

Her eyes never left the Doctor’s prone form where a gang of men were whooping it up over their fallen prize currently face first in the dirt. She cried out when they started kicking him. She wanted to run to him and the thought of leaving him created such anxiety she was shaking but she knew the woman was right. They’d just kill her and then who would rescue him? 

She grabbed her bags and entered the shop quickly rushing to the window hoping to see where they took him. It broke her heart to see them flip him face up and tie a rope around his feet and drag him. There were only two consolations. They were dragging him manually which meant they probably weren’t going far and he was wearing his coat which bunched up around his shoulders and head as they dragged him and might protect his head from the worst of the rough road. 

“Here,” the woman ordered, “drink this! It will calm you and strengthen you. We leave shortly to follow. If we are lucky the vermin will drop him in an alley while they drink at the nearest bar. If not we’re going to their ship. That’s where they’re going.”

The Doctor had been dragged beyond her field of vision so she turned and took in the old woman, studying her for the first time. She looked ancient yet the hand that had grabbed her had been strong. Her face was lined and wrinkled like crepe paper but her eyes were sharp and alert. When she’d spoken earlier her voice was barely a croak. Now it had strength and command.

“You’re wearing a disguise. Why?” Rose demanded.

The old woman swept off her cloak and straightened up touching some sort of badge on her chest. She shimmered slightly and morphed into a thirtyish woman of bearing and strength. She had dark hair and dark eyes that did not waver. 

“I wear a disguise because no one cares about old women in any society. It gives me freedom of movement and with that I can survive here. I know you have no reason to trust me but I assure you the drink will not harm you. You need help and I’m offering.”

“Why do you want to help us?” Rose asked as she took a tentative sip of her drink which was not unlike tea, maybe herbal in nature.

With that sign, the woman grabbed up her crone robe swirling it back around her, slapped on her badge and morphed back to old crone. 

While she rummaged around in the corner she said, “I was young when a man called the Doctor saved my family from a terrifying experience. He had blue eyes, icy blue eyes but he was kind and risked his life for us. I heard you call the man with you ‘Doctor’ and it seemed to me he was quite special. You too, I think. I’ve long hoped for a chance to pay the blue-eyed Doctor back but since that chance is unlikely to come I will help your Doctor and you and hope my debt is paid,” Grace explained.

What were the chances that help would come from someone who’d been helped by an earlier incarnation of the Doctor? It boggled the mind but these strange coincidences had happened before. Was it the TARDIS once again bringing them to a place the Doctor was needed but ensuring there was help available when things got out of control or was it the universe looking out for the last Time Lord despite his view the entire universe was out to get him? Rose didn’t know but she wasn’t going to ignore the offer of help. Her chances of helping the Doctor had just improved. Besides, she had little choice.

Rose bolted back her tea as her new friend tossed a dowdy black robe at her and attached a badge to her shoulder activating it. Rose was glad there was no mirror around but just looking at her wizened hands was a shock. Soon she was ready and grateful for the strength the tea provided. What followed was a rapid fire illustration of mimicking an old person’s walk and the importance of moving rapidly only when certain they would not be seen.

“Thank you for helping us,” Rose said. “My name is Rose Tyler.”

Her benefactor looked at her oddly. “Hi. I’m Grace, Grace Morantz. What planet you from?”

“Earth,” Rose said, “and you?”

“Same,” Grace replied neutrally. “Guess we’re both a long way from home.”

“Grace, were you taken and left here?”

Grace nodded but didn’t betray any emotion watching Rose carefully.

“If you want to go home the Doctor will take you. I promise.”

Rose couldn’t interpret the look on Grace’s face but had the impression there was more to the story than Grace let on.

At length Grace said, “I guess we better rescue your Doctor then. Come on!”

They swept out the back door of the little shop into the alley.

Rose followed Grace closely, imitating her stride. Her anxiety felt like mice chewing on her nerves. She knew if they didn’t find the Doctor he might be taken off world and never make it back to his TARDIS. Rose knew he was resourceful but even he couldn’t fight twenty blokes at once or regenerate if they shot him in the head and threw him out in space. She had to find him and get him away from them. He was counting on her.


	3. Chapter 3

Grace and Rose were moving quickly down the alley behind a row of shops. Every now and then when they heard one of the alley access doors open, they slowed dramatically, hobbling along to maintain their disguise. A few vendors waved at Grace who nodded back as she shuffled along. If they thought Rose’s presence odd they didn’t inquire allowing the ancient crones to move along. 

Grace had been right. No one really paid attention to old people. Rose realized what an effective disguise she had and she knew why. No one paid attention because they didn’t want to be reminded they would grow old too. 

Every now and then Grace signaled her to stay put so she could scurry her way down a side alley to verify how far they’d dragged the Doctor. Then they returned to their path behind the shops, unseen by the hooligans dragging the Doctor.

She wondered if she was placing too much faith in Grace so Rose remained wary. After all she knew nothing about her. True she came from Earth, at least that’s what she’d said. Assuming it was true, the circumstances by which she came here were unknown other than Grace saying she’d been brought here and left. The implication was it had been against her will. But Rose knew there were a lot of unknowns, not the least being Grace herself, and that meant she and the Doctor might be pawns in a larger game. One thing she was reasonably sure about was that it had been hard times for Grace here - a fight to survive and when people were desperate they could do desperate things.

Up ahead the alleyway behind the shops ended, widening into a large staging area where several space vehicles had landed. They’d have to get closer to see the whole picture but there were some empty stacked boxes behind which they could hide and enjoy a good vantage point. Well placed out of sight, Rose saw there was only one space faring ship. The rest were small planetary jumpers probably here from mother ships currently in orbit. Her heart sank. How could they know which one he was on?

Looking over at the large ship she felt hope again. She sank to her knees, peering between the boxes, at a spot underneath the ship and confirmed what she thought she’d seen - a long leg sticking out between two boxes on a loading pallet. She’d recognize that scuffed Converse covered foot anywhere. 

“I see him,” Rose said, “I have to go now, while no one is out there.”

“Wait, you’re going to be real close to them. Right behind the wall, there’s a bar. They could hole up there for awhile but there’s no guarantee they will. Besides I don’t see how you could drag him by yourself.”

“I’ve dragged him before. I’m not leaving him,” Rose stated, standing, ready to go.

“Hold on!” Grace said. “I’ll stand lookout. There’s a hole in the wall. If they come, I’ll signal and you can hide. If they don’t come I’ll help you haul him once you get him to the alley.”

Rose nodded but had a question. “They shot him with something. Do you know what it is?”

“Yeah, I saw him get shot. It’s a small bulb of slow release tranquilizer to keep him knocked out. That means they want to sell him and that’s why they’re not concerned about leaving him while they drink. But you can’t just pull that bulb out. You have to push it in first and turn it counterclockwise, then pull. Do it right or the tranquilizer will flood his system and it could kill him.” 

Rose nodded and the two women moved quickly towards the nearest planet hoppers which would provide some shadowed cover as they moved towards the pallet where the Doctor lay. There was a guard on the other side of the parking lot but Grace said the job seemed more involved with collecting docking fees. The only patrols around the lot were intermittent. 

Grace and Rose moved together with Rose watching the ship and Grace watching for any movement from the other hoppers or the guard hut. She gave Rose a thumbs up and moved on to the viewing spot in the wall. 

Rose moved quietly onto the pallet. The Doctor was sprawled between two boxes where he’d been dropped. His coat was still bunched around his shoulders but it had protected his head. He looked peacefully asleep. Quickly she shoved one of the boxes over to give her access. Then she straddled him pushing in the bulb on his chest and turning it. Her heart sang as she heard it snick loose. Removing it she slipped it in her hoodie pocket and dragged him off the pallet. Her only option was to use the rope still around his feet knowing his coat would protect his head as he thumped off the pallet. It was hard going. She faced forward with the rope over her shoulder which allowed her to dig in with a lower centre of gravity.

It was painfully slow going and as the minutes ticked by it was drag, breathe, drag, breathe. The Doctor was heavy dead weight but Rose wasn’t giving up even as the rope dug into her hands and shoulder. Blimey, how in the hell could someone so slim be so heavy! Must be all that stuff in those pockets he said were actually in another dimension. Finally she made it to the alley entrance. Pausing briefly to check on Grace she realized she’d left evidence of her path in the dirt behind her. She whipped off her cloak, ran back to the pallet and used the cloak to swish away the evidence. 

Rose pulled her sleeve cuffs down over her hands trying to protect them but the rope just slid over the fabric. With no other choice she took the rope back in her hands and pulled with all her might slowly dragging him forward. She’d made it half way back to Grace’s shop when Grace came running down the alley. She grabbed the rope, helping Rose pull. She was strong and the two of them got him to the alley behind Grace’s shop.

“Rose, they’re coming. I have to go back, create a diversion, buy us time. You get him inside and I’ll wipe the tracks on the way back. Hurry Rose, they’ll be at the wall in minutes. I gotta go.”

“Thanks Grace. Be careful!”

Rose grabbed the rope and used her last strength to drag him through the alley door and from there into Grace’s small shop. She was gasping for air and totally spent as she closed and locked the door. She’d keep watch and let Grace in when she returned. Her hands were dripping blood so she went into the small neat restroom and wet some towels wrapping them around her hands. She was feeling quite rubbery and knew she needed a few minutes to recover before she could move him someplace more comfortable.

But first she wobbled on shaky legs to the shop window, peeking carefully down the street. At an angle she could just see the corner of the blue box and she felt relief. Heading back to the Doctor she wet another towel and wiped the layer of dust and dirt from his face. Then she put her fingers on his forehead and was relieved to find him cool to the touch like he should be. She’d saved the stuff they shot him with incase she had to get the TARDIS to analyze it. When she took his hand, he twitched! He must be shaking off the drugs. Oh Doctor please hurry she thought. Then his foot moved and she heard him whisper her name.

“I’m here Doctor,” she answered, cradling his cheek with her hand. “You’re okay for now.”

His head lolled again and he drifted off. She unwrapped her hands and put them on his hearts and was relieved to feel their syncopated thumping. Wrapping her hands again, she sat beside him checking the back and front of the shop every now and then hoping Grace was okay, hoping she hadn’t been caught, hoping her and the Doctor were safe. She had no choice but to stay here. She wasn’t strong enough to get the Doctor back to the TARDIS at least not yet and without food and water it might have to wait until he recovered. 

When his eyes opened the first thing he saw was an old woman beside him, not the one he’d seen before but a new one. He remembered the one from before had offered shelter to Rose. This elderly woman was leaning against the wall dozing right beside him. He was flat on his back on the floor. He had to shift and do it now. He had to find Rose.

“Where is Rose?” the Doctor croaked, clearing his throat.

Rose blinked, confused whether she’d heard anything.

Seeing her eyes the Doctor knew it was Rose. “Rose why are you wearing a shimmer?”

“Doctor?” Rose asked sitting up quickly and looking him over. “You okay? What did they do to you?”

“Rose! What happened to your hands? That’s blood!” The Doctor sat up quickly, his coat generating a cloud of dust, pepples, and sand. It settled around them. He took her hands in his carefully unwrapping the bloody towels.

“Oh Rose, what happened?” he asked.

“I had to drag you from the spaceship parking lot. It’s no big deal,” she said.

“No big deal!” the Doctor exclaimed. “Wait here Rose. I have to get some water.” 

The Doctor stood sending more dirt onto the floor. He wobbled a bit not yet fully recovered but soon he was dashing about looking for a bowl and filling it with water and grabbing more towels.

“Doctor, is the water safe? I’m powerful thirsty but I was afraid to drink it except for a couple sips of tea from Grace.”

Soon he brought her a glass assuring her it was safe. Then he carefully cleaned her hands and patted his pockets bringing out the sonic and healing her ravaged flesh.

Rose filled him in on what had happened. The Doctor stepped outside and gave his long coat a great shake while Rose found a broom to sweep the mess out the back door.

“Doctor we have to find Grace. She should be back by now.”

“I know Rose but we need to get to the TARDIS first. Quickly now, make sure we leave no sign behind.” 

He picked up the bloody towels and Rose’s shopping bags and shoved them in his pocket and replaced the water glass and bowl exactly where he got them from.

“How we gonna do that Doctor? The TARDIS is probably being watched or guarded.”

“I don’t think so Rose. They wouldn’t have been watching us when we left her for the market and I never made it near her when they shot me but Grace’s place may be under surveillance.”

Suddenly he turned hearing the alleyway gate open. 

“Come on Rose!” He grabbed her hand. “There’s multiple footsteps. Grace is not alone,”

“But where?” Rose whispered.

“Up!” he whispered leading her to the second floor and hoisting her into the attic. “Walk like I taught you. They’re in the shop now.”

Silently, the Doctor removed a vent and lifted Rose out onto the roof, then hoisted himself up and out.

“Rose, keep low to the roof and crawl. No thumping.”

Rose nodded and off they went heading across the roof tops in the direction of the spaceport and the TARDIS. It was tricky going especially at one slippery spot when Rose started to slide but the Doctor’s quick grab stopped her descent. 

“Doctor,” Rose whispered, “we’re coming up on the first alley. We can’t jump over the alley to the next building and it’s still a big risk to just walk in the open to the TARDIS. Plus sooner or later one of those space jumpers are gonna spy us on the rooftop. What are we gonna do?”


	4. Chapter 4

Doctor,” Rose whispered, “we’re coming up on the first alley. We can’t jump over the alley to the next building and it’s still a big risk to just walk in the open to the TARDIS. Plus sooner or later one of those space jumpers are gonna spy us on the rooftop. What are we gonna do?”

“Rose, hand me that shimmer. I’m going to use it to get to the TARDIS. Then I’m going to bring her here and pick you up. It’ll be tricky but I’ll hold her steady and you’ll jump in. Easy peasy,” he said grinning as though it would be a walk in the park.

With a look of skepticism she handed over the shimmer.

As the Doctor fiddled with the shimmer he explained, “I’ll leave you my coat. Lie flat on the roof and cover yourself with it. You’ll blend in with the roof tiles. No one on a fly over will see you. I’ll take your cloak. It’ll hide my suit.”

Quickly making the exchange the Doctor slapped the shimmer on his chest and morphed into a nondescript male, the same height as the Doctor and same basic coloring. In every respect he was ordinary, dull even. He was someone no one would look at twice, someone the complete opposite of the Doctor.

“Rose,” he said, seeing the doubt in her face, “I don’t want to separate from you either. I won’t let you down. I’ll always come for you just like you always come for me. Okay?” 

He reached for the hands that had been bloody and raw from the effort of saving him and kissed the palm of each.

She threw her arms around him and whispered in his ear. “You know where to find me. Now, go on then.”

The Doctor turned and crawled to the edge of the roof and disappeared over the side. Rose followed him stopping at the edge where she whipped his coat over herself and flattened herself against the roof. She peeked over the edge. He’d crawled down some piping on the side of the building and was already moving down the alley. Then she lost sight of him as he moved onto the street in front of the row of shops. 

Despite his coat she felt exposed and was worried about Grace. Was she paying a horrible price for helping them or had she sold them out? Either way she wanted to be sure they offered her a lift home.

Blending into the evening pedestrian traffic the Doctor headed toward the TARDIS easily becoming one of those around him. He resisted the urge to run although it was difficult to restrict himself to what seemed a snail’s pace. Rose had saved him and now she was counting on him. Finally he’d managed to slip closer to the crowd headed to where he needed to go and before long his key slipped into the TARDIS door and he was inside.

He pounded up the ramp to the console where he set to work on calculations for picking up Rose. It was a short flight but it was going to be tricky. His ship was already impaired. Grateful they were in the future where the TARDIS was still working he wanted the coordinates as close to perfect as possible. He’d be gutted if something happened to Rose. She wasn’t just a companion. She was a true friend and the truth was he looked forward to their time together. She was the first person he told when he had exciting news or discoveries. He actively planned their travel destinations just to please her! Even when she was afraid, she was there for him and he had come to the realization he would sorely miss her when she left him. 

It was surprisingly comfortable straddling the peak of the roof with her arms and legs with the Doctor’s coat covering her. The peak was a wide arch that easily supported the width of her torso so for the first twenty minutes she closed her eyes and focused on remaining still but she was alert and listened carefully. She had shuffled herself to the edge of the roof to explore the piping the Doctor had used to climb down the building just incase she had to use it. She knew it would be risky because the Doctor was taller than her. She’d have to jump to reach the nearest pipe and hope she didn’t miss her one chance to grab and hold on.

Suddenly she heard a sound and turned under the Doctor’s coat peering back the way she’d come. Sure enough she saw a first person exit through the roof of Grace’s shop. The jig was up. She didn’t know if she could be seen with the camouflage of the Doctor’s coat but she knew she couldn’t take that chance. They were coming. She didn’t know who they were or whether Grace was with them but it looked like four were moving along the roofline towards her. It didn’t matter how slowly they were moving. She had to act because she didn’t know when the Doctor would arrive. She was afraid. Unconsciously she called for the Doctor to hurry before it was too late.

Standing at the console the Doctor was ready. He was just reaching for the controls when he was startled by the psychic paper jumping in his breast pocket. It was a strong hit but it would have to wait. Suddenly it hit again. Figuring he better check it he flipped the leather case open and groaned.

“No, no, no!” he exclaimed. “What the....how could it be?”

He slammed the lever down and the blue box dematerialized as he reread the psychic paper.

‘Doctor, they’re coming! Hurry!’ Then, the second message ‘I have to jump’ and the message ended.

He knew it was Rose but how had she sent a psychic message?

He landed precisely within the tight dimensions of the alley and raced to the door. There she was crumpled on the ground with four figures working their way down the pipes. He raced toward her but knew he couldn’t get there in time. They had weapons. He was prepared to fight them but when they jumped the last few feet to the ground their weapons were all aimed at Rose. He approached cautiously with his hands up.

“Pick her up. You’re carrying her,” one of them barked.

The Doctor cooperated fully, wanting desperately to verify Rose’s condition. She must have hit her head and he needed to examine her but he couldn’t. At least she was wearing his coat and the sonic was in it’s breast pocket. With the sonic he could diagnose her and hopefully escape. 

He saw that his four captors were jumpy, wary of him and he knew they must know what had happened at the parts shop. They could have shot him with the tranquilizer again but then they’d have to carry Rose and drag him. He came to the conclusion their capture was about revenge or the slave trade and neither was good news. The only thing good so far was they hadn’t separated him from Rose. He worried that wouldn’t last long.

Studying her face, he wondered how long she would put up with the dangers and risks of being with him. Alone, hiding on a roof from aliens, falling as she tried to escape and now a captive again. One day, probably soon, she’d leave him and he would face all this alone again, but crippled by her loss. 

His thought was barely complete when Rose opened her eyes and saw him. His slight warning nod was correctly interpreted by her and she maintained the ruse of unconsciousness but not before she winked up at him. That was Rose, always game, always helping him. 

As the Doctor moved down the alley, followed by his four captors, he saw where they were going and he didn’t like it one bit. He saw spaceships ahead and that was not good. If their captors intended to take them off world there was no guarantee they’d keep them together. He looked down at her and she read him like she always did. Rose had been here before to rescue him. She knew there were ships here and they were probably intending to take them off world so she knew he was worried if she could run. 

Speaking in a voice only his acute hearing could pick up she whispered, “I can run.”

With the barest nod to Rose, he turned his attention to his captors who were all behind him with weapons drawn. 

“We going on a trip gents? Love me a good trip to new places.”

‘Shut up’ was the only answer he got but Rose tugged his suit and when he looked down he saw she was holding the tranquilizer bulb she’d hidden in her hoodie. He realized she must have taken it from his chest where he’d been shot. Mostly hidden by the long sleeve of his coat, he could see it was still more than half full. Rammed into someone’s body it would be an effective weapon. He smiled. Now, if only they didn’t separate them. If that happened they’d have to fight.

They’d entered the spaceship lot and were directed to the left and the Doctor realized they were headed away from the planetary space hoppers toward the largest and only interplanetary ship in the lot. It was the ship from which Rose had rescued him. There were five reasons to feel encouraged. So far it seemed they intended to keep them together and he knew how to fly this ship. Also they had a weapon, they had the sonic and he still had the shimmer in his pocket. They had a fighting chance.

He was still carrying Rose when they ordered him to stand on a pallet about to be loaded into the ship. She was light as a feather in his arms and he was glad to carry her if only to keep her from the cretins’ attention. Two of the four joined him on the pallet to escort him into the ship.

They were quickly deposited in the ship’s brig. Even though it was rudimentary he had to be sure they weren’t under surveillance so he set Rose on the one sleeping pallet in the cell and made it look like he was examining her while he fished out his sonic. Surreptitiously he took a reading. 

“Rose we’re not being watched or listened to in here,” the Doctor assured. “I see you hurt your shoulder trying to get down the pipes.” He waggled the sonic which held her diagnostic data. “Also you’re dehydrated. You need water. Dig in the left pocket of my coat and you’ll find a bottle of water.”

Rose nodded, sitting up beside him on the pallet rummaging in the pocket. “Yeah,” she said, “I had to jump and grab hold but I missed with both hands but held on with one but my shoulder slammed against the wall. It’ll be okay. I’ve had worse. So what do we do now?”

She didn’t show any fear but it wasn’t long before she’d slipped his arm over her shoulders to get closer to him, her only comfort.

“We’re in a cargo ship, probably has a small crew. If we could get the advantage and lock them in here, I know how to pilot this ship but it’s a long shot. Still I’d prefer it to facing whatever they have in store for us.” 

She knew he was referring to the likelihood of being sold into slavery.

“Right then,” Rose said, “any chance you could use the sonic to cause damage so they’d have to return to where we were?”

“Unlikely I’m afraid. I’d have to be in the control room to do that. Before we do anything I’d like to figure out the crew size.”

Rose snuggled closer. Their situation was looking kind of grim. But Rose was with the Doctor and that gave her hope. Nobody was smarter than him. She knew how much more grim it would be if she was separated from him.


	5. Chapter 5

Rose shrugged off the Doctor’s coat and went to the bars of their cell.

“Oi!” she called down the hall. “I gotta visit the loo!”

“Rose, what are you doing?” the Doctor asked, standing in alarm.

“I gotta go to the loo ‘n I’m not goin’ in here.”

“Rose, I don’t like the idea of you going off with one of them. You could be...hurt.”

“I know Doctor, but it can’t be helped. Besides, I might gather some intel along the way!” she smiled before yelling out again.

The Doctor was not happy that she would be out of his sight but there was nothing he could do about it now. He heard footsteps approaching.

An older man with a limp approached. At the cell door he ordered the Doctor to stand at the back of the cell and then let Rose out. He had a weapon which he pointed at Rose’s back as he signaled her to go forward. Rose didn’t see much on the trip to the loo but was grateful to see that it was clean and tidy. On the way back the man guarding her groaned, clearly in pain. He staggered, leaning against a bulkhead, with his eyes squeezed shut and dropped his weapon. 

Instead of doing the predictable Rose moved to him putting her hand on his shoulder.

“Are you okay Mister? What’s wrong?” Then she bent down, picked up the weapon and handed it to him.

Astonished he looked at her closely before offering, “Lady, you could have killed me!”

“My name is Rose. I don’t like killing people. What’s wrong with your foot?”

Still studying her, he answered, “I got stabbed in the foot and it’s infected. We got no ship’s Doctor so it’s not looking good for me.”

“Well, you best talk to my friend. He’s a medical doctor and he knows everything. He does carry some standard medicine with him. I don’t know if he has what you need but he might be able to help you.”

“Why would he do that? And if you think I’d fall for going in the cell with him, not likely! I heard what he done in Grimby’s place. I go in that cell my foot would be the last of my problems.”

“You don’t have to go in the cell. See the Doctor has a device he always carries, looks like a pen but it’s really a medical scanner. Ya don’t even have to take off your shoe. He’ll just scan your foot and hopefully he might have medicine on him but if not he’ll tell you what you need to get at the pharmacy.”

The guard was obviously skeptical but Rose could tell he was thinking about it. He waved the weapon at her and Rose turned heading back the way they’d come. The Doctor was at the front of the cell eager to see Rose as he heard her approaching footsteps. Rose came into view and he sighed in relief to see nothing had happened to her. He stepped back at the guard’s signal and Rose entered explaining about the guard’s foot and did he think he could help.”

Turning to the guard the Doctor said, “Of course I can. I’m a Doctor!”

“How close to the bars do you have to come?” the guard asked.

“Just put your wounded foot forward and I can do it from here.”

Thus reassured the guard put his foot forward but remained ready to respond quickly. If this whirring pen thing was a weapon he’d get a shot off before he fell and the two of them would still be locked in the cell. But damn, his foot was getting beyond painful and he couldn’t sleep so if this Doctor could help it was worth a try. So far the whirring sound wasn’t making the pain any worse.

Finally the sound stopped and the Doctor stood to attention with his hands behind his back. This man may be an enemy but he was about to give medical aid and he took that seriously.

“What is your name?” the Doctor asked, turning to his coat and rummaging in one pocket for the medical kit he always carried.

“Travin,” he replied.

“Thank you. Travin I estimate you have two to three days at the most before you develop gangrene in that foot. Within a week you’ll have to have at least a partial amputation.”

The Doctor could see he had the guard’s attention. “This,” the Doctor said, holding up a small plexiglass kit with various obvious medical supplies, “contains sterile bandages, among other things. Do you have access to clean water?”

Travin nodded affirmatively.

“Good. I need you to go wash the foot with clean water and let the water run for awhile. Make sure you wash your hands thoroughly too. Then,” the Doctor explained, pulling out medical gloves and a packet, “put on the medical gloves and open this sterile packet and wrap the cloth around the wound and come back here. Rose can you hand them to Travin?”

Rose did so and the Doctor continued. “When you get back I’ll sterilize your foot with the medical scanner. Then Rose will bring you this spray which is to be applied all over your foot up to the ankle. It will come out as a spray but turn to a lotion and then you apply another sterile towel and put on a clean sock. I will give you two pills, and I wish I had three but I’ll write a prescription for the third. You’ll take one when we finish with your foot and the second twenty-four hours later.”

Travin had his suspicions but the combination of pain, fear and a peculiar trust in what this Doctor was saying governed his actions. For the first time in a very long time he thanked both of them and headed off with his sterile packet to wash his foot.

“Making friends again Rose?” the Doctor asked.

Shrugging Rose replied, “We sure could use a few friends but I may have made a mistake Doctor,” she concluded. Looking up at him she explained how she’d had the weapon but gave it back.

Kissing her on the top of her head he reassured her, “Weapons fire on a spaceship is never a good idea Rose. Besides we don’t know how many we are facing. You did the right thing and helping Travin is the right thing to do too.”

“Even if he doesn’t help us?”

“Even then!”

He liked having Rose in his arms. It made him feel better and he was content to stay in her embrace until Travin returned. Rose didn’t seem to mind either because she held him tight with no sign of stopping until they heard Travin’s uneven gait returning.

Keeping his distance from Travin, the Doctor coached him through each step. Rose took all the items to him because he already trusted her. In this way they hoped Travin would trust them both and possibly help them.

When the procedure was finished the Doctor had Rose give him a tablet explaining, “You should feel some improvement by morning, less pain too. I could give you pain medication but I hesitate to do so as I am not your Doctor and don’t know your medical history. By the time you take the second pill you’ll feel a lot better but you need to get that third pill. How long before you can take my prescription and get it filled?”

“Within 24 hours of taking the second pill,” Travin answered. “Is that okay Doctor?”

“Yes,” the Doctor smiled, “it’s within the safe zone. Come see me first thing tomorrow morning.”

Travin nodded and left but he thanked the Doctor again.

“I get what you did there Doctor. The answer you got out of him tells us we have roughly forty-eight hours before we get wherever we’re going.”

Rose knew he was worried but before they could talk further food arrived with another crew member who shoved the trays under the cell door and left. It didn’t look that great but it smelled not bad, which was a plus. It was accompanied with a chunk of some kind of bread. Rose waited for the Doctor to tell her if it was okay for her to eat. 

It was and wasn’t that bad compared to some prison food she’d eaten. Then came the argument about sleeping.

“Don’t be ridiculous Doctor! You are not standing there all night while I sleep. There’s plenty of space for both of us. We both need our rest to be at our best.”

She was right up against him staring in his face. Reluctantly he agreed. He took the spot nearest the cell door, Rose behind him. The Doctor removed his suit jacket and tie unbuttoning the top few buttons and Rose took off her hoodie and jeans in favor of sleeping in Grace’s robe. Before pulling the Doctor’s coat up around them she gasped digging into the pocket of his coat.

“Doctor, you can sleep in the new dressing coat I got you. You’re gonna be real comfortable!”

She was so excited about it, what choice did he have and when he took off his shirt and trousers and slipped it on even he was impressed.

“It’s so soft!” he exclaimed.

“Told ya didn’t I?” Rose said happily. “Come on then, let’s get some sleep.”

It wasn’t long before Rose drifted off and before long she was wrapped around him. This was why he always resisted, not because of her seeking comfort in his embrace but because he feared he would take more than comfort.

“Doctor! Doctor!” Travin called.

Snapping awake the Doctor was astonished he hadn’t heard Travin long before he was calling his name. He’d slept and deeply with Rose in his arms. Sitting at the side of the cot and cinching his new robe closed over his erection he struggled to control his physiology.

“Are you feeling better Travin?” he managed.

“Yeah, I am. I even managed to sleep,” he said enthusiastically.

“Good, good,” the Doctor said, “now you need to do the whole routine again this morning. I’ll get you the stuff and then come back and I’ll clean your foot again with the scanner.”

“Okay, thank you. You’re a real life saver. Literally! But listen Doctor. I came to warn you of what they’re going to do to you and your lady.”

The Doctor was suddenly wide awake.


	6. Chapter 6

When Travin returned from washing his foot Rose was still asleep so the Doctor handed the medical supplies through the bars which Travin accepted, this time with no qualms. The Doctor sterilized his foot again with the sonic and as Travin sprayed his foot he gave his warning.

Glancing around to be sure no one was coming Travin spoke softly, “Doctor, they’re taking you to Doridian. There’s a slave market there, a special market. They make couples perform sex there for an audience of buyers. I don’t need to tell you what’s expected of you if you get bought. But getting bought is probably your best chance to escape. If you don’t get bought as a couple then you could get separated and matched with someone else or sold as regular slaves.”

The Doctor was alarmed at the information but especially that Rose could be separated from him. He was responsible for her safety. His mind was scrambling to consider what options they had but then the news got worse.

“The thing is,” Travin continued, “they’re going to move you to another cell today and it will have hidden cameras. The evening meal will be laced with aphrodisiacs and when the inevitable happens they’re going to decide if you make the grade to be sold to the sex trade or just the slave trade. They use the film to qualify you for the sex auction which fetches them a higher price. I could switch out the food or find a way to kill the cameras but I don’t advise it.”

Glancing down the corridor again Travin explained, “See, if you aren’t affected by the food, they’re gonna gas you. I don’t know what they use but the last couple they used it on...well..he had an adverse reaction and he tore his partner apart..”. Travin stopped and the Doctor saw the color drain from his face and thought he might be sick.

Regaining a measure of control, Travin finished, “There was screaming and blood everywhere. The thing is Doctor, when the drug wore off the man was so upset at what he did, he hung himself.”

Feeling panicked the Doctor asked, “How many crew on this ship?”

“Not counting me, there’s seventeen. One’s a cook and there’s me and one other are ship’s services. Lunches and dinners are on rotation so there’s always at least 7 in the control room. Trust me none of them are pushovers and they have weapons. But I’m not going to interfere if you try something. I don’t owe them anything.”

Travin knew how trapped the Doctor was and tried to help. “Listen Doctor, if you try to escape I think it’s a bigger risk, less chance of success and greater likelihood your lady becomes the ship’s entertainment when they kill you. The alternative is short term humiliation in exchange for a detention you’re far more likely to escape.”

“Why would we have a better chance to escape on the planet?” the Doctor asked with urgency.

“Because there’s people moving in and out of there all the time and the guards are overworked and underpaid. I’ll not sugarcoat the shabby conditions but it could be days before you’re even called up. But people escape from there. That’s why we always get paid up front. From what I hear you’re a strong guy. Listen Doctor, I know you have some thinking to do. I’ll be back with the lunch meal and you can tell me what you decide okay?”

Silently the Doctor sat on the pallet where Rose was still sleeping. What were they going to do? Rose would expect him to have a plan. That was his job! Travin was right about the options. Trying to take the ship was a fool’s game but the alternative of being drugged, having sex...the Doctor squeezed his eyes closed thinking of how he was going to explain this to Rose. She might agree to save them but he would know it was against her will. How could he do that to her? Why couldn’t he think of an alternative? 

The minute Rose woke and saw him sitting there she knew something had happened. She could see the black cloud over his head.

“Doctor?” she asked. “What’s happened?” She sat up beside him. “Whatever it is we’ll figure something out.”

“You’re not going to like it,” he said with resignation. “Our choices are limited and all bad.”

“Then we’ll choose the least bad and make it good. Tell me Doctor. What’s happened.”

The Doctor droned out the news with no emotion. He didn’t even look at Rose afraid to see her reaction.

Rose was silent for several moments. Then she got up and sat on the floor in front of him so he couldn’t avoid looking at her.

“If Travin told you all that and if taking over the ship isn’t an option then we make the best of what’s left.”

The Doctor whispered, “I’m sorry Rose, I’m so sorry.” 

Rose knew she had to make it easy for him. “Doctor I know being with me is not what you want and I imagine you’re worried about how I’m gonna react to this so let me tell you.”

She watched the Doctor raise his head and saw the worry etched on his face. 

“You and me, we save people and we save each other and it’s not like we haven’t had to do some embarrassing stuff before. Do you think for one moment I wouldn’t do this to save us? Sure it’s gonna be bloody awful that all these dirtbags are gonna be watching us on film but there’s nothing we can do about that but you’re the most important person in my life and my best mate. I’ve been in your arms before and they’re my safe place. Having sex with you is something I wish wasn’t forced on you but you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Oh Rose,” the Doctor said, “it’s not you being forced on me silly girl, it’s me being forced on you I was worried about!”

Rose hugged him. humming in his arms and they comforted each other until Rose asked two sensible questions.

“Doctor, now that we’re settled, I feel like I don’t need or want the aphrodisiac. I mean what if it’s not good for us in other ways and also shouldn’t we choreograph what we’re gonna do?”

“What?” the Doctor asked utterly confused. “Okay yes on avoiding the laced food but what do you mean about the choreography?”

“Well, for instance, what about camera angles. I know it sounds impersonal but Doctor if the cameras don’t even pick up our images and if what they see isn’t sexy or exciting enough we won’t make the cut and they’ll separate us and we’ll be sold on as slaves. I don’t want to be separated from you!”

She threw her arms around him again. 

“Me neither Rose but I think we can leave camera angles to them. They get more money if we’re sold as sex slaves so there will probably be cameras everywhere in the cell they put us in. As for making it exciting I guess we could talk about what we should include but isn’t it supposed to be driven by the aphrodisiac and be sort of...”

“Aggressive?” Rose asked.

“Yeah,” the Doctor agreed. “So long as we’re desperate for each other I think we’ll get the rest right. Choreography is too much like following a script and won’t look natural and I don’t want to do it. After all, I’m the one who has to rise to the occasion!”

Rose giggled and the Doctor couldn’t help but laugh. Once again her practical and generous nature had resolved a problem he’d have agonized over for hours. Then that practical nature surprised him again.

“So Doctor,” she said with a grin, “speaking of rising to the occasion, are you roughly the same as a human male? I mean does it work the same for you? Since we have to be convincingly hot and bothered to make the cut, maybe you should give me an advance peek so I won’t scream or anythin’?”

“Rose Tyler you are too cheeky for your own good!” He grabbed her and lifted her on the bed tickling her all the way.

“Fine have it your way but don’t blame me if I look scared or worse, disappointed!” she said as she scrambled off the bed, ran to the bars and called for an escort to the loo.

With a lopsided grin, waggling his eyebrows, he purred, “You will not be disappointed Rose Tyler.”

It was so like Rose to take what was a terrible situation and make it better. They had to perform sex on camera which should be a terrible humiliation and embarrassment that violated the deepest instincts for privacy yet Rose had made him laugh about it, and she’d even taken it all in stride. She was a wonder he just couldn’t fathom and she had courage far beyond his. Rose had given them their only chance to get out of the mess they were in.

He had avoided the temptation that Rose posed and if he was honest he was sorely tempted by her but he knew the inevitable outcome of indulging that attraction. Why then was he now looking forward to being with her? Because now he had no choice so he could happily ditch his principles. There were so many things wrong with his reasoning but the most important was that if he was with Rose once he wouldn’t stop there and he knew it. In fact, hard as he tried to deny it, he was determined to please her like no one else ever had. And if she didn’t want to be with him again he was going to make sure she never forgot it. This realization astonished him.


	7. Chapter 7

Despite her bravado with the Doctor, Rose found her walk to the loo had an unintended consequence that left her shaking inside. Her mind flooded with the hard realities they were facing. She had to perform like a 10 quid crumpet in front of cameras for hardened criminals so they would be chosen to perform sex acts for perverts on a strange slave planet on the off chance it would provide a better chance to escape. If that wasn’t grim enough there was the Doctor who didn’t have sex with his companions so he’d be faking his sexual interest in her.

She thought she might pass out so there was only one thing to do. She needed a shower. She could think in the shower. The ritual of getting clean was akin to washing away her troubles but also cleared her mind allowing her to think objectively. But when she asked Travin if she could shower he explained she’d have to wait until they were moved. Apparently the new cell had showers. Rose sighed and fell back on her last option - giving herself a stern order to get a grip and make the best of it. Look and act like a bitch in heat and hope it helped the Doctor rise to the occasion. How ironic that she’d wanted him for so long and now, because of the circumstances, the idea was nauseating her.

When she returned the Doctor was alarmed to see Rose was pale and shaken.

“Rose, what’s happened? Were you hurt?” he asked holding her by the shoulders looking her over carefully.

She stepped into his embrace and sighed, “Nah, just had a panic wobble is all.”

“Come on then,” he sympathized, “let’s talk about it.” The Doctor led her to the pallet where they sat and he put his arm around her shoulders.

“Well,” she said, “I suppose I could get past bein’ filmed havin’ sex ‘n actin’ like a crumpet but it’s knowing you have to pretend you want me that’s making it all seem like I ....need to ...figure out how to, oh I don’t know....get ya ‘in the mood’? I’m worried I can’t carry it all.”

The Doctor saw her deflate, her shoulders slumped, and her eyes were downcast staring at the floor. She was feeling very down and she was scared. She’d helped him and now it was his turn to step up.

“Rose that’s not true,” he said quietly. “I’ve felt deep affection for all my companions, some more than others but you’re the only companion I’ve ever wanted.”

Turning and studying his face, Rose was clearly surprised and a little unconvinced. “Why’d ya never say?”  
“Because having an inter species relationship with a companion rarely works. They’re usually short term because life with me is difficult, dangerous and who can blame someone for tiring of it and me? Who can blame my fantastic companions for seeking their own lives and loves and children? I’d want you to be mine and that’s not possible for me so I didn’t want to encourage anything more.”

Now he had her full attention and she said, “But I’m staying forever.”

“And you will be welcome but it’s difficult to know how you will feel ten years from now,” he sighed. “One day you’ll question your decision to stay with me and I will be devastated. How much more if we were lovers.” 

“I get that a lifespan of centuries makes ya look at things differently and maybe my short life span means I can’t understand your point of view but I wonder if you’re robbing yourself of someone who really cares for you, someone who loves you,” she revealed.

“Are you just saying that because of the situation we’re in or are those your real feelings for me Rose?”

“The truth is I didn’t tell you because I didn’t think you felt that way about me and I’m telling you now because if we get separated or.....if we don’t get out of this, I would regret I never told you for the rest of my life,” she confessed.

Her head was still lowered with her hair hiding her face and he wanted to see her eyes so he knelt down in front of her. He saw the tears there and as always he was compelled to stop them. 

Brushing them from her cheeks he vowed, “Rose, I won’t let them take you. I promise!”

She smiled sadly saying, “I know you mean it but you can’t make that promise Doctor.” Taking a big breath she schooled her features. “But we’ll do what we have to yeah?”

“No!” the Doctor insisted. “You listen to me Rose Tyler. Being forced under the worst of circumstances doesn’t mean I won’t cherish every touch, every kiss and every embrace. And if you are taken from me I will never stop until I find you. If I have to give all my lives for you I will.”

Rose brushed his cheek, surprised but convinced by his vehement words that he meant what he was saying. The Doctor never lied to her about important things. So she responded to him with an open heart. “Me too Doctor, me too. I will give my life to find you.” 

They clung to each other for a long time and it strengthened them for the twisted ordeal to come. The Doctor remained attentive to Rose in the hours that followed. He stayed close to her and told her stories of his past most of which shared a common theme - overcoming adversity when it seemed there was no hope. He flavored his stories with humor and soon Rose was enthralled and peppering him with questions and laughing. He hoped he’d taken her mind off the situation if only for a few hours.

Eventually Travin arrived with their lunch of soup and bread. Once again the Doctor attended to Travin’s injury and brushed off his effusive thanks. Then he quietly asked him about the aphrodisiac. Although Travin was going to switch out their food they still had to act like they’d been dosed so he needed to know how long it typically took to take effect and how long it lasted. Then Travin told him he had a friend in the detention centre and would contact him as soon as they landed and ask him to look out for them.

As they were having lunch the Doctor shared what he’d learned with Rose explaining they’d probably be moved when Travin came back to pick up their trays.

“Doctor,” Rose asked, “if we’re being filmed are they going to be listening to us too? I mean how careful do we have to be with what we say?”

“Good question Rose. Even at this distance the TARDIS is translating the language of those who talk to us and our language to them but not our language to those watching us on a remote monitor.”

“So we can talk freely after they move us?”

“Yeah but we don’t know who’ll be watching so let’s not reference Travin, or where we come from or who we are, just to be on the safe side.”

Rose nodded satisfied she was as prepared as she could be. After they were moved, she’d get a shower and put her game face on. She had to admit the Doctor had helped her immensely. He wanted her and although he hadn’t said he had the same feelings she did, she knew he cared for her. Knowing she was nervous and scared, he’d entertained her and made her laugh. She loved him all the more for taking her mind off things.

Rose was nothing short of a miracle to him. She had the heart of a lion and there was no one he counted on more than her. He felt sure he’d helped her get over the wobbles but he wondered if she knew how much she helped him. She was always game and rarely complained and when she did he made it his business to fix whatever troubled her. Now she’d told him she loved him. Humans said those words cavalierly most of the time but he knew Rose meant it. She’d not said so before because she didn’t think he wanted to hear it. Little did she know the impact her confession was having on him.

Mid afternoon they were moved to their new temporary quarters. There were bars like most cells but they’d attempted to make it look like a bedroom with furnishing and a proper bed. The Doctor snorted his disdain at the sorry attempt at a cinematic flourish for the cameras.

Rose just muttered, “Woulda been better in a real cell. Can you imagine the title of their film of us? ‘Sex Starved Inmates go Bonkers!”

“Horny Humping in Hyperspace!” the Doctor shot back.

Not to be outdone Rose offered, “Sixty-nine Ways to Please your Cellmate!”

“Prison Blues: The Legover Chronicles!” the Doctor laughed and Rose joined him.

“I’m sure I could think of twenty more Doctor!”

“Oh I know when I’m outmatched Rose Tyler. Go on then, have your shower and I’ll have mine after.”

“Wanna shower together?” she asked and he saw she was serious. 

“Tempting idea that, but not right now. Besides I have something I need to talk to you about.”

She knew he was nervous too. Probably because a male couldn’t really fake it. He had to perform on camera and if he wasn’t erect it would be game over for both of them. So she nodded and asked him for her toiletries and nightgown which he habitually carried in his pockets.

After the Doctor showered and made his hair just right for her he returned and saw that Rose had applied her make-up lightly and she had put on her night dress. It was lacy and silky and she was so beautiful so he told her so. He was delighted to see her genuine smile and her eyes travel over his form.

“Come sit with me,” he said. She sat beside him and sighed happily as she snuggled into him.

“Rose, when I left to get the TARDIS and you were on the roof and first realized they were coming for you, did you call for me to hurry because they were coming and then later did you yell in your mind that you had to jump.”

Rose paused to think but acknowledged, “Yeah, yeah I did Doctor. I remember it just sorta exploded in my mind...pretty much exactly those words. How’d ya know? I never told you.”

“I know because you projected those thoughts onto my psychic paper. That takes a powerful psychic cry Rose.”

“Wow, but why’s that important now?”

“Well, I’ve got an idea that might help us if you agree.”


	8. Chapter 8

See,” the Doctor explained, “I think you were trying to project your thoughts to me but I was in the TARDIS and she prevents anything from getting in. But she intercepts psychic and telepathic energy and, if safe, she forwards the messages to my psychic paper. 

Rose was puzzled and said so. “Okay, that’s interestin’ but how does it help us?”

“I’m a telepath Rose! I think if you could send a message to the psychic paper you might be able to send a message to me and if so, we just might be able to privately communicate with each other when we put on our show. I think it would help us reassure each other while we’re faking the aggression effects of the aphrodisiac.”

“Wow, yeah, I can see how that might really help. It’d be like being in our own world together, kinda like privacy from the ugliness around us.”

The Doctor smiled but waited a moment as he saw Rose thinking it over. “Maybe we should try it now Doctor, just to make sure it’ll work.”

“Brilliant Rose Tyler!” the Doctor exclaimed, “I’m going to lower my shields and enter your mind. It’ll feel like an itch you can’t scratch for a few seconds. Ready?”

Rose nodded and the Doctor placed his fingers just so around her temples. He gasped when he heard her, plain as day.

“How are we supposed to have sex and look hot with your fingers stuck on my head?” Rose asked.

She heard the Doctor’s laugh roll through her mind. She felt his happiness and pleasure and knew it wasn’t just provoked by her comment but by the pure pleasure he felt because they were sharing minds. She’d felt lonely before and it felt like an ache in her chest. She’d often wondered how the Doctor had managed the loneliness of being the last of his kind but she’d never appreciated, until now, how much worse it was to be a lonely telepath. All at once she understood his mind needed the telepathic contact to avoid a whole other level of pain. She wanted to cry at all he had endured.”

“Doctor,” she cried, “you can go in my mind anytime you want okay?” She wrapped her arms around him and the Doctor floated blissfully and he knew she understood. 

Rose had seen the Doctor swimming in the TARDIS pool many times before. Sometimes he raised it to an art form, slicing through the water swiftly and smoothly, doing lap after lap and he had an Olympic size pool! She thought he did it to distract his mind, maybe from the lack of other minds in his, which was his natural state of being. She imagined he occupied himself with the absolute precision of each stroke of his arms and kick of his feet. Maybe it was an escape from the loneliness of no other minds humming in his. 

Although rare, sometimes he would join her and float and play blowing enormous columns of water out of his mouth as they splashed together. It struck her that was what he was doing now, floating and playing in her mind. It seemed to her he was almost delirious with euphoria as he experienced his natural state of being at long last. She was so happy for him.

Rose was content to let him indulge himself until she sensed a worry had surfaced in his mind. Experimenting with her newfound telepathy she asked, “Doctor, how come ya didn’t notice before I was psychic?”

“Shoulda done, I guess,” he answered, “especially since you’ve been highly empathic from the start. Psychics and telepaths can do mind projections, like I saw on the psychic paper but you’re not psychic Rose. You’re telepathic and frankly I’m gobsmacked. Humans are not telepaths. It’s a mystery! Don’t you love a mystery Rose?”

“Yeah, you’re telling me,” Rose answered. “So how come me being a telepath has ya worried? I thought you’d be happy especially since I’m giving you access whenever you want?”

“I’m not worried about you Rose. Our situation may be distasteful but our telepathic connection is going to help us get through it, don’t you think?”

It didn’t escape her attention he hadn’t answered her question. He’d deflected it. 

“Well that’s good to know....and yeah I agree that being able to talk without them hearing us is gonna help us. So if you’re not worried about me then whatcha worried about?”

Rose knew they were talking to each other mentally and she sensed he was holding back much of his mind’s activities from her which kinda made sense. He’d told her once that Time Lord brains operated differently than human brains. This was partly due to their time sense and how it affected their language and their spatial and mathematical brains which in turn drove their dazzling multidimensional thinking. So it seemed likely that he was shielding her from being overwhelmed by all that but it didn’t explain why he was suddenly shielding her from whatever he was worried about. But she got the distinct impression whatever was troubling him was deeply personal and private to him. 

She didn’t want to pry where she wasn’t welcome and if it was important to what they were facing she trusted he’d get around to telling her, so she would confine herself to satisfying her curiosity....after giving one more try at getting it out of him.

“So is it the case that you enter my mind at my temples but once you’re in you don’t have to keep your hands there so long as we’re touching? Can either of us break the contact?”

Yes,” the Doctor replied, grateful for the change of subject, “that’s more or less the way it works. Either of us could end the mental connection by ending the physical contact.”

“Okay, that seems simple enough. Is it the same for humans as it would be for Time Lords?”

Frowning the Doctor couldn’t help but admire her unerring ability to get at things he didn’t want to reveal. Normally if he didn’t want to talk he just didn’t. Yet slowly but surely she had grown in his affections making it difficult for him to ignore her. This time was different because he had to tell her because it affected her. He should never have brought up the whole telepathy thing. Now if it played out the way he expected he’d made their situation worse, possibly insurmountable.

“No, it’s not the same. Time Lords were telepathically linked through common access to a Time Lord intelligence hive. Just as we have a mental connection to the structure of history that allows us to navigate in the past, so the hive allowed us to find each other in time and space,” he explained.

Rose scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. “Yeah but once you found each other how’d you talk telepathically?” 

“Because we shield our minds, a simple request to commune was required. Assuming the request was not refused and mind shields were lowered then telepathic connection was possible without having to touch.”

“Hmmm,” Rose mused, “what about family, a spouse or a child? I mean it seems kinda formal for people that are close to you.”

“What you would call marriage was often nothing more than a political alliance on Gallifrey so telepathy was not unlike that for any Time Lord.”

Rose was upset and she said so. “But you said you wanted me! Were you just sayin’ that? If that’s the way Time Lords did things why’d ya say that you wanted me? Now we’re back where we started with you having to pretend?”

Sighing the Doctor knew he had to come clean with her. This conversational dance was getting them nowhere and they were running out of time.

“Rose,” he answered, “yes, marriages were often political but not always. I didn’t lie to you. Some marriages between Time Lords were ‘for love’ as you would say. Those couples would bond, their synapses tied together for as long as they lived through all their regenerations. They could telepathically communicate even if separated in time and space.”

“Oh,” Rose said softly, “guess that’d come in handy if they got separated,” she sighed. 

It didn’t escape the Doctor’s understanding she was assuming she was unworthy or unqualified for such a relationship and would never be suitable for him. 

“The thing is Rose, Time Lords took a long time to make the decision to bond and never had sex until they were sure otherwise they risked being tied together for thousands of years, long after their infatuation had faded.”

“Oh come on! They never gave into temptation? That’s hard to believe!” 

“There’s a reason they waited to be sure Rose. For a Time Lord, if you fancy your partner and believe they fancy you then having sex with them, while telepathically connected, can cause the male’s instinct to forge a permanent bond overpowering.”

The Doctor could see he had her intense attention so he continued. “When I was in your mind I could feel that draw to bond and we were not even having sex. I worry that when we are, a short time from now, I might not be able to stop myself from bonding with you and you’d have no say in the matter nor understand what you were getting into.”

“Doctor,” Rose implored, “we’re not having sex now. Do you want to bond with me?”

“Rose, there’s more you need to know. If you’re bonded to a Time Lord you can’t change your mind when you get tired of me or this life. The link between us would be permanent. Think about the implications of that Rose.”

“I want to stay with you forever and I already told you I loved you but I don’t want you to bond with me if ya don’t want to or just so we can communicate if we’re separated. And if that’s how ya feel I’d prefer just regular sex to get through this. So again I ask Time Lord, do you want to bond with me?”

“Rose,” he whispered, “I don’t think we should be telepathically linked when we have sex.”

How strange it was to be discussing telepathic sex to ease the pressure of having to perform sex for criminals. But now he was backing away and they would have to fake aggressive desire when all they would feel was joyless, mechanical sex. Her heart sank. He didn’t want to bond with her. She stepped back from him severing their connection.


	9. Chapter 9

Rose knew it was time to face reality and not what she wished was true. Sitting on the pallet where he’d held her during the night she almost lost it but she forced her feelings into the background.

With their connection broken the Doctor watched her, unable to know what she was feeling. But he didn’t need a telepathic connection to know she was hurt. She’d severed the connection before he could explain.

Wanting to correct her misunderstanding he said, “Rose, I just don’t want to get you into something you haven’t had time to consider. If you changed your mind, you’d only come to resent me. I just wanted to give you time to ...”

“You can’t make your hearts feel what they don’t,” she said softly, “I don’t blame you for that. Don’t worry. I’ll just close my eyes when we...when we pretend ....so I won’t see what’s not there in your eyes. It’s better that way. You don’t need to pretend just so I can get through this. We’ll manage. We have to, don’t we?”

She sat in front of him forlorn and lost and the Doctor couldn’t bear it. He knelt in front of her and shook her by the shoulders, “Do you doubt I’m trying to protect you? Do you doubt my feelings for you Rose Tyler? Shall I show you?”

He didn’t wait for her answer instead he affixed his fingers to her temples and entered her mind. Her head snapped back as he flooded her with his hearts’ yearning. Deluged with his favorite images of her she saw herself laughing, teasing him, helping him, holding his hand, running with him. The images flew by and it was overwhelming to realize how much he remembered but even more she knew how her smile pleased him and how hard he worked to make her smile. 

She felt his fear when she got sick and his constant anxiety until she got better, his amusement at her laughable attempts to cook for him, his pride and respect for her intelligent insights and his reliance on them and her. She felt his joy each morning when she joined him in the galley. She saw all the nights he walked by her room, especially after tough missions, checking she was okay, sometimes just standing there, his dark eyes betraying his longing. 

She wasn’t just seeing his images of her, she was feeling what he felt when he looked at her. Through his eyes she saw herself all dressed up and going out with him, other times casual in jeans and hoodie. She felt how proud he was to be seen walking with her. His hidden pleasure that others might think she was his. His fear that someone would catch her eye and take her from him. She felt his passion for her and his resistance to it driven by his fear of loss. 

Rose had experienced loss but not like his, nothing at all like his. It wasn’t just his guilt at his role in destroying Gallifrey and the loss of his people. The loss of his kind and the severing of telepathic contact with them was an agony he endured even now. It was also the loss of all his companions and friends as, one by one, they left him, then aged and died. Trapped and alone he lived his life driven to relieve his loneliness with companions and dreading the crippling effect when they were gone.

By any definition she now knew he loved her and that he was genuinely thinking of the risk to her if he bonded with her and she left him. He had no reason to believe it would happen any other way. What was more amazing still was that he was trying to shield her from seeing and feeling all his baggage but it was written in all his actions and she had to face the fact she’d triggered it all by pressuring him to bond with her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, even though it might kill him when she died, it was his fear of the pain it would cause her when she left him. 

Rose wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. Her mind called out to him.

“I’m sorry Doctor. I should have listened to you. I know now you were just trying to give me a chance to really think about it. I’m gonna do that Doctor. I promise and I’m gonna ask you questions and we’ll know together if bonding is right for us. And it’s not just me that has to feel right about this cuz you’ll suffer too if we do this and I die. I love you and I’m never gonna leave you but I can’t ignore what a broken bond would do to you. I’m gonna be okay Doctor. If you don’t think you should be in my mind while we have sex, it’s okay. I get it and I’m sorry I was so selfish and so thick!”

At home in her arms he basked in her understanding. She forgave him and he wondered how he could give up access to her mind. It was like home. But he would have to because even now, without sex, he could feel the drumbeat temptation to bond.

But this telepathic contact with her had reassured him too and in so many ways. She loved him and always thought of him ahead of herself. He was amazed at her devotion to him, the comfort she took from his intellect, the way he cared for her, the effort he took to show her new places and give her new experiences, and she loved that he never took her questions and his answers lightly. Then there were his habits and mannerisms that she especially adored. She thought he was sexy! And it was enjoyable to him that she liked his stature and form but to a Time Lord, a species that had to live by the regeneration lottery, he knew attraction to physical form was not sufficient to sustain a bond.

Here was the nub of it and it revealed the most amazing thing about Rose Tyler. She’d thought about regeneration. She’d stayed with him through one already, which made her unique. But she had wondered how she would feel if he regenerated into a form not attractive to her and she’d decided she would still love him no matter what he looked like. She wasn’t typical of young Earth girls her age. Rose Tyler had a kind soul. 

He gently kissed her lips and released his fingers. “Travin is coming with our food Rose. This is it. Remember, I’ll be aggressive towards you but I would never hurt you. Are you ready?”

Brushing her fingers lightly over his bottom lip she whispered, “Wanna know a secret?”

The Doctor nodded, listening intently.

“I think I’m looking forward to it. This whole thing is mad but I’m gonna shut everything out and just escape in you. Is that okay Doctor?”

“Oh yes Rose! I’m going to do the same. You are brilliant Rose Tyler and I’m so proud of you.”

Twenty minutes after they’d eaten, the Doctor stood suddenly pacing around the cell and casting furtive and frequent glances at Rose. She knew this was the signal. She had to do her part now.

Feigning a rising heat, she ran her fingers through her hair, twisting it and holding it at the crown of her head with her elbows wide. With her head back watching him through hooded eyes, her silky night gown accentuated her breasts She saw his eyes were black as he unbuttoned his shirt and ripped off his tie and jacket. She saw a flush on his face which was not something she’d seen before even after extreme exertion and she knew it was there because he could control his physiology.

Finally his restless pacing came to a stop in front of her. Looking up at him Rose slipped her hands under his rumpled, half-open, shirt running them over his taut stomach, following the tantalizing trail of hair up, up to his chest, where she felt his hearts thundering. She didn’t think he could control his hearts beat and it thrilled her. Before she could explore further he seized her by the upper arms yanking her up and whipping her around holding her firmly against him.

As he ran his hands over her breasts, he bent his head to her exposed neck, licking her ear lobe and purring his pleasure. Satisfied by her accelerating heartbeat that she was enjoying his attentions, he was pleased by her soft pants and the way she pushed her bum back against him. He ran his hand down her front and stroked her centre over her negligee. Just as he saw her eyes drift closed he slipped her negligee up enough to slip his hand underneath making direct contact and hearing her soft cry at his touch.

He had three objectives. Keep the cameras from seeing her bits, make sure he made her wet. He didn’t want to hurt her. Give her pleasure. It was the least he could do. 

“Rose,” he whispered, “you’re wet for me.” 

He felt her hips moving as he stroked her. She reached her hand behind to touch him but he shifted away from her touch.

“Ssshhh,” he purred in her ear, “let’s just focus on you for now. I want you to cum Rose, then I’ll order you about a bit to make it look good but then I’ll be inside you. I want that Rose but I don’t want them to see your bits so do what I say.”

She nodded murmuring his name basically hanging in his arms oblivious to everything but his fingers and his expert attentions until she moaned and her knees buckled but he caught her. He was just about to take over again when she surprised him. Whirling around to face him she grabbed him by his trousers and pulled him toward her as she sat on the pallet and unzipped him. Reaching in she pulled him from his trousers and felt his hearts beat pulsing beneath her grip on him. With each stroke she ran her tongue around his engorged head. The tables were turned and now his knees almost buckled at the focused sensations sizzling through him. He’d never experienced this act before but damn, it completely overtook his ability to reason. More, more was all he could think but he wouldn’t last long.

“Rose, what are you doing?” he grunted out.

Removing her sucking mouth but continuing the strokes with her hand, she explained, “We gotta put the spicy bits in. Ya can’t protect me. We’re in this together.”

With the return of her mouth and flicking tongue the Time Lord was lost and his head fell back as his whole being was overtaken by the pure pleasure radiating from his cock. If he didn’t stop her it would be too late.

He pulled her off him, ripped off his clothes and stood in front of Rose with his chest heaving, his eyes black and wild and his hands and jaw clenched. Fully naked Rose was amazed at his powerful beauty. His erection was truly impressive and pressed against his belly as he moved in a flash, pushing her torso back onto the pallet and, pulling her hips forward, he bent her in half and plunged into her heat. When he came he roared his pleasure. The image they both presented to the camera was quite simply the best the slavers had seen and they were rubbing their hands at the thought of the money they would make.

In the hotel like cell, neither of them were ready to be done with each other. They may not be driven to it by aphrodisiacs but they were entranced with each other nonetheless. The Doctor initiated sex with Rose three more times and it wasn’t for show although the watching slavers were convinced the Doctor’s ability to perform multiple sex acts would command a fortune for them. For the Doctor and Rose it was more about experiencing each other to the fullest incase they never did again.

After an exhausted shower they curled up together on the pallet.

“Rose,” the Doctor asked, “did you really like taking me in your mouth?”

“Yeah, I did. I really did, especially because you liked it.” She rolled over facing him. “I couldn’t get enough of you and you felt so good inside me. Did you like being with me Doctor?”

“I never felt anything that felt that good Rose.” His luminous eyes told the truth of it as he brushed his thumb across her bottom lip.

Rose could see he was thinking about it deeply. Good, she thought, because if she was any judge he was questioning everything. She snuggled close and the last she heard before drifting off was his sigh.


	10. Chapter 10

Rose woke and her first thought was joyous. She’d had sex with the Doctor and she felt sure he loved her AND he was a fantastic lover even if it was for show! Then she realized he wasn’t there beside her and she sat up in alarm calling his name.

He was beside her in seconds, already showered and fully dressed. “I’m here Rose. How do you feel?”

She gave him a dazzling smile, “All things considered I feel great.”

“Good,” the Doctor smiled, touching her cheek affectionately, “me too. Now go on, get your shower and let’s be ready for what’s to come.”

The Doctor stared after her as she entered the loo. What in Rassilon’s name was he going to do now? This young girl from an ordinary, pretty planet had stolen his hearts. He might as well be her captive because he doubted he could resist being with her again. Damn, he thought. Keep your head on straight! He had to get them out of the fix they were in before they were well and truly stuck in a slave compound. Why did she even stay with him? She said she loved him. How long would that last? The Doctor was pacing ready to jump out of his skin.

Despite their dreadful circumstances, Rose was in a good mood. They’d had brilliant sex four times! Not only that but she was pretty sure he could have continued but despite her willingness, she had been exhausted and sore by then. And he was bloody gorgeous naked but, even better, he knew what he was doing. The stamina must be a Time Lord thing and the skill, well, best not think of how he acquired that but it was clear to her she had to convince him they needed to be together. She decided she should hurry up because, if left alone too long, he’d convince himself he’d done horrible harm to her.

When she returned to the cell Travin had brought breakfast and was whispering to the Doctor who was nodding enthusiastically. After their only friend on the ship left they sat to eat breakfast. The food was generally pretty good and it felt like they were being fattened up for auction but the Doctor laughed at the idea. He thought it more likely they wanted to be sure their performance wouldn’t suffer at the ‘demo’ because conditions were pretty bad at the detention center.

“So,” Rose said, “you going to tell me what you’re so excited about?”

“Nope,” he said, rolling his eyes around the room, “just in case.”

She nodded her understanding. He didn’t want to risk being overheard. But she was surprised at what happened next.

He leaned over and put his hand to her forehead in concern. Then he went and got his coat and wrapped it around her. “Rose you’re freezing. Go on to the loo and turn the hot water on. The steam will help.”

She knew something was up or he was up to something and she didn’t ask questions. Shortly after the water was turned on he came in and reached in the coat pocket for the sonic signaling her with a finger on his lips not to speak. He did something with the sonic and then spoke.

“Rose, it was a good thing you were so kind to Travin. He tells me we passed the test to be sold as a couple for the...well... the entertainment of others. Turns out Travin’s boss had him refer to the ship’s blueprints for a job he needed to do and discovered, quite by accident, that this loo has a hatch that leads to the escape pods!”

“Well,” Rose whispered, “what are we waiting for? 

“That’s my girl!” the Doctor enthused with a wide smile.

“Doctor, what if there’s cameras in here?” 

“Travin says no cameras but they might be listening, hence the shower. Come on. We have to be quiet. We don’t have long. Travin’s taking sandwiches and coffee to the crew so hopefully they won’t notice the console light when the pod leaves.”

The Doctor couldn’t believe their luck. The hatch was easily accessed through the loo towel cupboard and the pods were close, a mere five minutes down a service tunnel. There were five powered pods each accommodating up to five people. They got in the closest pod, opening the hold manually, departing and sealing it shut behind them, he kept them hidden in the ship’s emissions wake. He was hoping he could stay there until they were closer to the planet. There’d be other traffic approaching the planet and the crew would be occupied with their orbital approach and pre-landing clearances. 

Travin had explained he was responsible for preparing the prisoners for transport and he would wait til the last minute to sound the alarm. The Doctor hoped he could blend into the common debris that routinely orbited developed planets. The sonic would help mask the pod’s identification signature. Still, it was a long shot but if they made it to the planet Travin had told him where he could hire an interplanetary hopper to get back to the TARDIS.

Rose couldn’t do much but be a passenger and be ready if he needed her to do anything. As far as Rose was concerned they were doing the right thing to take advantage of this opportunity even if it didn’t work out but she was worried about him. She could see his intense concentration, knew his brain was processing calculations and permutations and she could see how worried he was that it could end in disaster.

“Doctor, this was the right thing to do,” Rose interrupted. “Even if it doesn’t work they’re not gonna blow us outta space. They want their money. I know how busy and focused you are so do your magic and I’ll leave you to it.”

He nodded amazed how sanguine she was about this mess he’d got her in. Yes he was occupied but he couldn’t hear her voice or see her face without part of his brain replaying the feel of her body yielding willingly to him. He would never forget his time with her and couldn’t help wondering if it was fated to be nothing more than a haunting memory.

Astonishingly, Travin must have sidetracked the crew sufficiently they didn’t notice their escape and now the ship was entering orbit, a task that would keep their attention, so it was time for the Doctor to drift the pod apart from the ship, still keeping it in their emissions trail until they left orbit to land. By the time they had clearance to land the Doctor hoped to steer the pod behind an orbiting satellite or piece of debris. 

It worked! They’d landed undetected and the Doctor couldn’t believe their luck. The sonic had masked the pod’s signature or they would have been blown from the atmosphere by planetary authorities. Travin must have waited til the last minute to tell the ship’s crew they had escaped. By now they might be out looking for them. 

They were on the outskirts but not far from the space hopper rental company and hoping to get there before anyone from the ship could intercept them. Quickly dragging branches over the pod, the Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand and set out at a run. Doridian was a little more arid than Earth but clearly an Earth Type planet and it helped that it was one gravity less than Earth’s so they made good time racing toward the rental agency.

Rose was feeling elated as she ran with the Doctor. This was more like it she thought. This run was the only exercise she’d had in days, well, except for the vigorous sex! That thought caused her to blush furiously but she settled in to extend her stride and run like the Doctor taught her.

She was a picture, her golden hair streaming out behind her. She’d let his hand go so she could bear down, lengthen her stride and pump her arms. She had mastered the techniques he’d taught her and he enjoyed watching her as they ran side by side.

“Why are you blushing Rose Tyler?”

“Ahhh,” she said, looking over at him, “because I’m running.”

“No that’s not it. I know all your blushes and you are nowhere near over exerted!”

“Sometimes it’s just perfect isn’t it Doctor? Running I mean. You know, feeling the wind against your face, your muscles working, your body stretching out and just feeling, I don’t know...just feeling alive,” she enthused.

“Indeed, it does,” the Doctor laughed, smiling at her. “And that was a nice distraction but hardly an answer to my question.”

Rose just laughed. Had she been thinking of sex with him? He found himself hoping she had and that too surprised him.

Rose knew he was like a dog with a bone when she wouldn’t answer one of his questions. ‘Course he felt free to ignore questions he didn’t want to answer all the time but it was a different matter if he got curious about something. He’d dig and dig til he got it out of her!

“Doctor, weren’t you embarrassed to have your bum and bits on camera?” she asked looking over at him as they ran.

Rassilon, she had been thinking of sex with him the Doctor thought! 

“Nothing wrong with my bum or my bits, Rose,” he answered.

“You can say that again,” Rose said under her breath.

Course the Doctor heard her and he was chuffed.

Suddenly Rose slowed dramatically, spying a movement that caught her eye and he turned to her to find out what was wrong. 

“Down, down,” Rose implored. “Look Doctor, over there,” she said pointing at a hopper that had just landed. An old woman was hobbling away from it towards the hanger.

“Doctor, I think it’s Grace! What’s it mean?”

“Good catch Rose. It’s definitely the same shimmer Grace used when you met her. The question is who is she here to help?”

“Oh my gawd! Ya mean she might be working for them? How could I have let her fool me?”

“Remember Rose I sent you to her so if she fooled you she fooled both of us. But let’s not assume the worst. She did help liberate me. Maybe she’s come for us.”

“Okay, let’s keep down and follow her and see what she’s up to. Along the way we’ll stop and rent a hopper.”

Rose nodded and they were off and running along a handy tree line, staying low, intending to blend in when they got closer to the hanger.

They didn’t see Grace when they entered the hanger where there was a fair crowd dispersed around the hanger, some waiting to pick up arrivals, some at the return counter and some at the rental counter where they were headed. 

“Rose, I want you to stick close. Now’s not the time to risk being separated. If we get captured I want it to be together, not separately.”

Rose nodded taking his hand as they waited in line keeping watch for anyone who might enter to recapture them. 

“Doctor, I think they’re gonna make ya take some kind of orientation, safety course. See those people over there. They’re headed for that classroom. We may get separated.”

“Don’t worry Rose. The psychic paper will take care of it.”

Sure enough when he got to the counter and showed his I.D., officials fawned over the Doctor who was identified on the psychic paper as Director-General, Aeronautics and Astronomical Research and his list of credentials included licensed interplanetary pilot. All the counter clerks came to meet him as he told them of his familiarity with their hoppers and the good things he’d heard about their rental service. The requirement for preflight safety training was waived immediately. 

They were directed towards a hallway that would take them to the hopper port. The Doctor was given a folded tag with the the hopper’s identification tag inside. Since no one was in the hallway they ran towards the door. Once outside the Doctor unfolded what amounted to the keys to the hopper to read the identification tag so they could find their hopper. The tag read Row A Hopper 100110002.

“It’s a trap,” the Doctor declared.


	11. Chapter 11

“What is it Doctor? How’s it a trap?” Rose asked in alarm.

This tag has the coordinates for Gallifrey on it. That can’t be a coincidence. But how can anyone here know that? Come on Rose.”

He pulled her to the left where they ran between rows of hoppers.”

“Where we goin’?” Rose called.

“To Grace’s hopper,” he replied. “It’s not the right key but I’ll use the sonic.”

They raced to the back of the lot where they’d seen Grace land. By the time they got there Rose was panting but she was still in good nick. The Doctor scrambled up the access ladder hurrying to the console. Checking the fuel, he fired up the hopper and called for Rose to strap in.

“Rose?”

She didn’t answer. In a panic he turned and realized she wasn’t even there. Scrambling from his seat he went to the access port and stuck his head out. Rose was being dragged away by three men from the ship they’d been in. Damn! He raced down the ladder and had every intention of disabling each of them. They were getting out of here! Before he could reach them, he was ambushed from behind with a hard hit to the head and dropped like a stone.

Predictably they were taken to the detention centre. Frightened that the Doctor was still out cold, she resolved to fight like hell to stay with him when they got assigned a cell. She was afraid he’d be helpless if he was in a cell with someone else. Probably everything in his transdimensional pockets would be taken, possibly even the sonic! She couldn’t allow that.

Their captors were furious at their escape and the run around they’d experienced trying to get them back. Leniency was not on their minds. In fact they thought a good cuff across the female’s face would swiftly follow if she gave them grief. Reading the situation, Rose decided to use reverse psychology and avoid kicking up a proper nutty, explaining calmly the Doctor wouldn’t recover if she wasn’t there to help him. The jailer, responsible for assigning cells, told them all to shut up because they didn’t have a choice but to jail them together because they were cramped for space as it was. 

Gawd the cell was awful. It smelled rank and it had a dirt floor where they’d thrown the Doctor. She had no doubt this planet’s equivalent of rats would be running over them in their sleep. No way was she letting rats run over the Doctor and it’d be a cold day in hell before she put him on the filthy mattress no doubt full of tiny biting livestock so she pulled it off the rickety pallet and wrestled it up against the wall. Then with great effort she carefully propped the Doctor up against the pallet and bit by bit got his coat off and his jacket which she used for a pillow. Finally she inched him onto the pallet, laid his head carefully onto the pillow and beat the dirt off his coat and covered him with it. She couldn’t see well in the dark cell but was pretty sure the Doctor was just knocked out. She expected their captors would wait til he recovered because they wouldn’t make much money selling damaged goods.

She sat beside him ready to give him water she’d found in his coat pocket, hoping he’d wake soon. If he didn’t she feared they’d make her have sex with someone else and she might never see him again if she got sold. She knew he’d never give up looking for her but what if he was really hurt. She didn’t know how to help him but knew if the hit to his head was a concussion he’d go into a healing sleep. Holding his hand she hoped he’d recover soon. She missed him. When he was with her she never felt afraid. He was so larger than life it never occurred to her!

Kneeling at the end of the pallet she gently ran her hands through his hair feeling for the bump on his head. Sure enough it was a proper goose egg and it gave her a baseline. If it was significantly smaller in a few hours she’d know he was in a healing sleep and not knocked out. 

Suddenly she heard wailing and sobbing from further down the cell block. It was eerie and so obviously from someone who knew their life was over. Once they were sold they’d never see their families again. The despair of this wretched place was weighing her down and she clutched the Doctor’s hand in the dark.

Then she heard a sound at the cell door where a man stood motioning her forward. When she got close the man whispered, “You ‘n him from Travin?”

Rose nodded and heard the jailor carry on, “They’re callin’ for you two already...not sure I’m gonna be able to help ya much.”

Pleading with him, wrapping her hands around the bars, she explained, “The goons who sold us knocked the Doctor on the head ‘n he hasn’t woke up yet.”

“Them slavers ain’t been paid yet so that was a bloody stupid move. I can work with this...see I can say the man been damaged and they gotta wait but maybe they could refuse to pay til they got proof he work proper. See, they interested in you two as a couple. Should buy ya a couple of days.”

“Thanks Mister. My name is Rose, Rose Tyler. What’s your name?”

“Got no name ‘cept Jailor,” he shrugged. “Been here since I got left as a kid.”

Rose reached forward and cupped his hand with hers through the bars separating them. “Ya deserve a proper name mister. Not your fault ya got left here as a kid. Mind if I call you Mister Handy Goodfellow?”

The jailor stared at her with curious eyes. Rose imagined this haggard, older-than-his-age man had spent most of his life deprived of everything, including human touch. He’d lived his whole life in substandard circumstances and it showed, yet he’d made a friend with Travin. 

“Why’d ya name me that?” the jailor asked.

“Well, see, where I come from we usually get two names when we’re born. The first is something our parents think represents us. In my case my first name is Rose which is a type of flower and my second name is after my family’s name. That’s ‘Tyler’ for me. But, even though it’s not your fault, we don’t know your family name. I figure ‘Handy’ is a good name for your first name cuz ya had to be smart and resourceful to survive here and another name for that is ‘Handy’. I like ‘Goodfellow’ for your last name cuz I think you’re a good person, not mean or cruel. You must be strong cuz ya haven’t been twisted into a nasty person after all ya been through so I thought ‘Goodfellow’ describes you well,” Rose explained. “Watcha think?”

The jailor shrugged. “No one’s gonna call me that.”

“How many days off d’ya get each week?” Rose asked.

“One every two weeks,” he replied flatly.

“Well, when you go out to buy food or whatever, you clean yourself up and introduce yourself to the owner of the shop by your new name yeah. Then ask them if they need an honest worker willing to work hard. I’m bettin’ you can get a proper job. It might not work the first time but I think it’ll work and just havin’ a good name you can be proud of will help ya get a better job and a better life.”

He stood staring at her. Finally he said, “You can call me that if ya want but I gotta go now if I’m gonna get your call up delayed until the Doctor gets better.”

The Doctor woke in time to hear Rose name their jailor but he didn’t stir not wanting to interfere with the fragile relationship Rose was developing. He found her ability to reach people something akin to a superpower. Somehow they knew she was worried about them and trying to help. Often the people she met had rarely experienced simple kindness. 

When Mr Handy Goodfellow left the Doctor opened his eyes. “Rose?”

Beside him in seconds she wanted to know if he was okay.

“Yeah, yeah, a little sore but here,” he said, adjusting his sonic setting, “run this over the damaged area will you?”

Rose leapt to her feet and ran the sonic around like he’d taught her. “Doctor, our jailor went to see if he can delay our call up.”

“Rose, I heard your conversation and you were brilliant. If I’d interrupted we’d have been called up but I think you made him feel special and I don’t think that poor soul has experienced much kindness in his life.”

“Can you imagine Doctor? Bein’ dumped here as a young boy with no one to care for him. You didn’t see him but he looked half starved.”

“I can’t promise but if we can help him I will, I swear.”

“Me too Doctor, I’ll help. It’s not his fault,” she said sadly.

They sat together trying to come to grips with their circumstances. The Doctor was focused on escape and he could see several options but the trick was figuring out the route to get out of the detention centre. Towards supper they heard their jailor approaching.

Rose stood at the bars and when she saw her friend she whispered, “Handy? You okay?”

Before he could answer the Doctor stood forward. “Mr. Goodfellow, may I call you by your first name?” the Doctor asked quietly and with the respect he gave every new person he met.

The jailor was startled. He’d never been treated with respect. He was treated like scum here and reminded constantly he had no hope and no future. He dreamed of having his own life but it was just a dream that relieved the darkness of his life. If this Doctor fella asked permission to use his first name maybe this pretty lady was right about the importance of having a name. 

He nodded his consent at the Doctor. The Doctor put his hand between the bars with a cheerful smile.

“Pleased to meet you, Handy.”

Startled, Handy Goodfellow froze not sure what to do. But then he wiped his hand on his trousers and shook the Doctor’s hand. As far as the Doctor was concerned Handy Goodfellow was another amazing example of a person treated like dirt all his life who had managed to salvage some good in his heart. He was determined to help him. 

Handy believed the Doctor was showing him real respect. He could read people. His one true skill had been forged from the fight to survive. He believed these two were telling the truth and there was the rub. They’d be gone soon, one way or the other, and that fleeting feeling would be gone with them.

Before the Doctor could speak Handy reached in his threadbare pocket and pulled out two red apples.

“Travin came by to bring ya these. Food here can make ya sick so ya best eat ‘em.”

He handed them through the bars but Rose folded his hand around one of the apples. “You take one Handy. No offence but ya need to eat something good, nourishing ya know.”

“You’re right Rose,” the Doctor enthused, “I should have thought of it!” Looking at Handy he said, “Go on then Handy! Rose and I will share this one.”

Handy started to tremble as he bit into his own apple. He’d never had one before and he near fainted at the pleasure as his taste buds exploded.


	12. Chapter 12

Rose’s small act of kindness had transformed Handy’s face into wonder. For Rassilon’s sake , he’d never had a bloody apple, the most common fruit in the universe! In this place of depravity where living beings subjugated others and sold them for profit the Doctor keenly felt the injustice and it enraged him. He hated slavery in all it’s forms. And then there were the children, like Handy had been, treated like chattel, abused and debased, in the hands of monsters and he vowed he was going to liberate Handy Goodfellow because he was a gentle soul trapped in hell. 

“Handy,” the Doctor said, “Rose and I, we’re getting out of here. I want you to come with us. We can help get you set up on a new, peaceful planet with your own home and a job.”

“Oh yes Handy, come with us!” Rose urged. “The Doctor is amazing and he has a ship that can take you anywhere.”

The longing on their jailor’s face was clear but he wasn’t an idiot. “Why would ya do that for me? What d’ya want in return?”

“I don’t want you to get in trouble,” the Doctor reassured. “All I want is the lay of the land. When we get taken to the buyers, what’s it look like and what’s the quickest, most likely escape route?”

“Well, you’re gonna be in a bowl shaped room divided by four aisles with up to fifty buyers in each section between the aisles. You’ll be at the bottom of the bowl. There’s no real way out through the bottom of the bowl cuz it takes ya back to the detention cells.”

“What’s up the aisles?” the Doctor asked.

“If ya could make it up one of the aisles and through the doors there’s a hallway and directly across it you’d see the main exit doors but there’s guards outside on all the doors. But that’s not the only problem. See you gonna be behind thick glass down there in the bowl. Those rich people don’t like gettin’ splattered. Sometimes prisoners spit on them or worse,” Handy said sheepishly. “Anyhow, to solve the problem, sellers paid to have the glass put in.” 

With a look of urgency the Doctor pressed, “How thick is the glass Handy?”

“About this thick,” Handy replied, holding up his thumb and index finger to approximate the thickness.

“Good,” the Doctor said, “now Handy, is there any other exit beside the main doors?”

Looking up, deep in thought, Handy paused then explained, “Well, if ya made it to the hallway at the top of the aisle you could turn right and go for about 30 feet and you’d find a metal door. It ain’t been open in years but I used to go there to hide when I was little. It’s an underground tunnel leads all the way to the outskirts of the town. Probably built a long while back for buyers to escape when the cops used to raid this place before they got bribed to look the other way. I ain’t been in there in a long time but it’s gonna be rough in there. Could be leakin’ water and definitely there’d be rats in there. I could leave the door unlocked for ya.”

“Yes that would be terrific. Now Handy, this is the important bit,” the Doctor said. “Hang on!” The Doctor whirled around to get his coat from the pallet and dug furiously into his pocket. “Ah ha! Here we go then.” He held up a key proudly.

“You keep this key with you at all times. When it tingles in your pocket and you see it glowing then make sure you get here in a hurry. I’m landing my ship right here and I’m coming for you and all the prisoners here. From the time you see that key glow it will be ten minutes until I land.”

Rose tugged the Doctor’s arm seeing Handy’s disbelieving look. “Doctor ya gotta explain about the TARDIS. How’s Handy supposed to believe you!”

“Oh yes, of course. Well, see I’m a Time Lord not just a Doctor. I don’t just travel in space but in time. Traveling in time takes a very special kind of ship. From the outside my ship looks like a tall blue box but on the inside she is vast beyond your wildest imagination. You’re going on an adventure Handy!”

“He’s telling the truth. I promise!” Rose reassured. “Don’t lose that key Handy.”

Handy stared at them both. He put the key in his pocket. If they were lying and had no intention of returning for him the key would remind him of what might have been. Despite his many reasons for doubting their crazy story, he figured they’d gone to a lot of trouble to invent something so nuts no one in their right mind would believe it. Handy figured that was reason enough to believe them. Besides he noticed they didn’t expect him to risk himself. They were taking all the risk, including death, with their daring escape plan. If they pulled it off he trusted they would come for him.

“Okay, I’ll be ready,” Handy said. “I’ll try to let you know when you’re on.” Then he turned to leave but hesitating he turned back. “Doctor, would ya be willing to take Travin? He can’t take it anymore. He’s comin’ by later.”

The Doctor burst into action again, furiously patting his pockets once more while whispering, “You bet I would Mr. Handy Goodfellow. It would be my pleasure! Ah Hah! Here, take this credit stick. There’s 500 credits on it. I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get my ship so make sure Travin rents a room somewhere nearby so I can pick him up.”

Handy stared at the Doctor and at the credit stick. He was truly shaken and really couldn’t believe the Doctor had just handed him 500 credits. He just stared at the credit stick in his shaking hand.

“Handy,” the Doctor said softly, “you’re worth way more than 500 credits to me. You liked apples. Well you just wait until you get on my ship. I’m going to give you a banana! Apples pale in comparison to the taste of bananas! Now you best get along and be careful because I’m coming for you and Travin!”

As Handy trundled away the Doctor turned to Rose who had tears in her eyes. “Some places in the universe are horrible for people aren’t they Doctor?”

He folded her in his arms and held her tight. He knew just how she felt. Yes there was cruelty and injustice. But it wasn’t the whole story. He had more experience than Rose and his rage at the injustice was balanced by the wonder of the many who struggled to make things better. Rose just didn’t have the perspective he had from centuries of star travel. There was brilliant. amazing good, all over the universe that made you gasp in wonder and appreciation. 

Later the Doctor’s endless pockets produced clean, fresh bottles of water and several chewy, delicious energy bars. They sat together on the pallet each alone with their thoughts. In the face of the challenge ahead their dank, dark surroundings did nothing to bolster their mood. For the Doctor his top priority was getting Rose to safety. His second was to see the prisoners liberated and this place destroyed. Oh he knew it would be a hollow victory because the trade would spring back up somewhere else, probably in less than a month. But he would liberate these souls at least.

“Rose,” the Doctor said softly, “best get some sleep while you can.”

“Nope,” Rose said firmly, “I don’t want rats crawling on me and takin’ nibbles!”

“Rose, I can see in the dark. I’m not letting rats anywhere near you. You need to be rested. Tomorrow will be grueling.”

“Yeah, well, what about you? You need rest too. Maybe we should take turns.”

“Now Rose,” he chided, “you know I don’t need as much sleep as you, besides I slept like a baby the last two nights.” He didn’t say it but it seemed he slept rather well when Rose was wrapped around him.

“Well,” Rose said smiling in the dark, “we didn’t actually ‘sleep’ that much last night if you recall?” She waggled her eyebrows in the dark knowing he could see.

“True enough. We were vigorously engaged.....”

“And frequently,” Rose interjected cheekily.

Clearing his throat fighting the images her recollections were provoking, he pointed out, “All true Rose but the point is what sleep we did get was deep and restful!”

“True enough,” Rose agreed with a giggle. “Alright then. You’ve convinced me. You’re on rat patrol you daft alien.”

Rats or not, Rose Tyler could sleep at the drop of a hat and soon he could hear her deep breathing as she slipped into sleep. Everything about his pink and yellow girl fascinated him, even her scowl when she was angry because she looked so cute, even then. As the hours passed he shuffled and stamped his feet every now and then to keep the rats away. They were nothing if not persistent and, unlike him and Rose, they were free, able to burrow, climb and crawl pretty much wherever they wanted.

Finally the most important person in his life stirred, stretched and cracked her eyes open only to find darkness. She reached out with her hand and breathed out in relief when the Doctor took her hand.

“What time is it Doctor?”

“It’s 7:03 a.m.. Good morning Rose.”

Rose groaned out, “Not sure what’s good about it but if we free the prisoners I guess it’ll be up to our standards. Thanks for keepin’ the rats away Doctor.”

Chuckling the Doctor replied, “I take you to all the best places!”

Out of nowhere Handy showed up at the bars of their cell. “Doctor, Travin sends his thanks. He’s gonna use the credit stick to rent a hopper for a week and wait for ya at the end of the tunnel. He’ll take ya to your ship so he’ll be with ya when ya come back for us.”

“Excellent Handy. So all the pieces are in place and ready. Now, when we being called up?”

“Right after mid day.”

One by one Handy took the Doctor and Rose to a washroom that had a shower. Apparently rich people liked their slaves clean. Thank gawd was Rose’s response and she was pleased to find Handy kept the tiny washroom spotlessly clean. She’d borrowed the dressing gown she’d bought the Doctor and while she was gone he soniced their clothes clean. Being clean just boosted your mood to face any challenge, as far as Rose was concerned, and being with the Doctor would make it all turn out okay.

Rose’s mood remained positive as the hours passed. Then Handy came back with the robes that would cover their nakedness. He told them they could wear their shoes cuz the floor was kinda skuzzy. That suited the Doctor because he had to have the sonic with him and the robe would help him hide it and they needed their shoes to run through the tunnel. Handy promised to put their clothes in a bag just inside the tunnel they’d be taking to escape. It was time.

At the entrance to the amphitheater they were received by another team of guards. There were three glass cells with a buzzing crowd of patrons lookin on. Even from the entrance the Doctor’s acute vision could tell the glass wall separating the patrons from the action was thicker as Handy had demonstrated, and the glass between the cells was much thinner. The Doctor was manhandled up a few steps into the cell on the far right which was where he wanted to be, nearest to the aisle up on the right. But then he realized Rose was being separated from him into the center cell. Then it got worse when a large muscular man was placed in the third cell. His hearts sank. They were expecting them to fight each other for her!


	13. Chapter 13

Rose bolted to the wall separating them and put her hand on the glass. The Doctor smiled placing his hand over hers on the other side. He didn’t want to give the crowd the satisfaction of hearing him so he mouthed the words ‘I will save you Rose’. She smiled and nodded. Rose was brave. 

Suddenly a blaring horn startled them but they all knew what it meant - take off the robes and get on with the entertainment! Through the two panes of glass he saw the other man remove his robe and his dread ratcheted up as he saw his opponent was already erect. But, if he was any judge, the stranger was in pain, probably dosed with something to keep him hard. The poor sod was every bit as much a pawn as they were. He briefly wondered why he and Rose hadn’t been given dosed food. Had Handy given them the apples instead? In any event, these sick fools were orchestrating this drama for their own titillation and they wanted to test his strength and stamina against his opponent. The winner commanded the highest price and there never was a guarantee he’d be sold with Rose. 

As he expected, guards entered the stranger’s cell no doubt intending to put him with Rose who would soon find herself a rape victim. All for no other reason than satisfying the morbid curiosity of the morally diseased patrons who wanted to know what he would do in response to the rape of his companion. They wanted to see Rose assaulted and raped hoping it would give them stimulation. He saw Rose watching and knew she’d figured it out and he knew she was afraid. 

THINK! THINK! THINK! 

Everyone was occupied watching the transfer but the Doctor searched the glass partition between them looking for any weakness or blemish in the glass...any imperfection. Hurry, hurry! he thought as his eyes rapidly scanned the glass wall. He couldn’t get the sonic out yet. It was too early. He couldn’t risk it’s confiscation by bringing it out too early. He was almost out of options when his acute vision spied a tiny crack, a small chip in the glass at the very top corner where a metal flange held the glass in place on one side. Yes!

But his victory was short lived. Oh no, no, no! The stranger had just entered Rose’s cell.

He grabbed the nearby pallet which was oddly arranged with different levels. The Doctor didn’t swear as a rule but he chose to on this day as he realized the pallet was designed to allow for maximum exposure of one’s private bits to the cameras. 

“You sick FUCKS!” he roared at them. 

Scrambling onto the highest point of the pallet he leapt up towards the chipped glass smashing it with his fist, relieved to hear it reverberate. As he landed he saw Rose cornered but, clever girl, she kicked the stranger right in the bits! The giant roared in pain and dropped to his knees.

“That’s my girl!” he yelled.

As the Doctor repositioned on the pallet he knew he didn’t have long. He was surprised no one came in his cell to stop him and concluded they didn’t think he could break it. But more worrying was Rose, now alone in her cell with a wounded, bellowing bull elephant. She couldn’t win that fight. 

He flung himself up to the corner of the glass and his astonishing coordination carried him exactly to the right spot for his fist to land another powerful blow. No one else heard the crack spidering outward and they probably were only visible to him but they were there!. As he landed he was starting to attract attention because the man in Rose’s cell was still groaning on the floor. He had to hurry because Rose’s cellmate was starting to struggle to his feet. 

Again he used his strong thighs to propel himself with all his might and this time when his fist hit the glass the audience heard and saw three jagged cracks emerge from the impact point. Not yet alarmed one of the audience stood to motion one of the guards to stop him. But the Doctor didn’t go to the pallet to make another leap and he did his best to look contrite. But time was up. The Bull elephant had recovered enough to rip Rose’s robe off. She was defenseless.

“Excuse me,” the Doctor yelled, “keep your hands off her or else!”

The stranger sneered and the Doctor looked at Rose who crunched down and bowed her back to protect her head. Satisfied she understood the play the Doctor gently tapped the glass with his knuckle and the whole panel shattered, roaring down onto the stranger and Rose. But Rose had been ready.

With tinkles of glass intermittently falling around them, the Doctor smiled and wiggled his fingers at her. “Come on Luv. You belong here with me.”

Whipping her robe on and stepping over the shattered glass, her trainers protecting her feet, she crossed to the Doctor and pretended she was getting glass out of her hair while she slipped special earplugs in her ears.

Kissing her, he double-checked her earplugs were properly placed. He winked at her to signal now was the time. The sonic, taped to his wrist, was preset and he activated it with a casual brush of his hand. None understood what was to come.

Programmed to produce hypersonic sound waves, the audience would be unaware of the danger they were in until it was too late. He, on the other hand, was counting. He knew the exact amplitude and even the curve radius of the hypersonic wave. He also knew exactly when the heavy slab of thick glass protecting the audience was going to crack AND he knew exactly when to give that heavy glass wall the shove it needed to crash down on them. By then they’d all be deaf and disabled with the pain of blown ear drums. They were bloody lucky he didn’t kill them all.

Good thing they would all be disabled because he knew they’d never sell them together now. He was too dangerous and too clever. To recoup their losses Rose would be sold immediately. He’d be sold cheap with a giant ‘buyer beware’ sign. They would definitely be separated. They had to escape!

The guards would be incapacitated too but they had to be managed for a few more minutes. All he had to do was convince them he was performing for the patrons. Moving Rose to the pallet he reached for her robe and opened it. He ran his hands around her bare breasts, lapping his tongue over her left nipple until he saw the guards stop paying attention. Interesting he thought, guessing when you saw pornography every day you got too jaded to care. 

The Doctor snuck a glance at the audience. They were starting to feel uncomfortable, shifting in their seats, trying to relief pressure in their ears. The guards were affected too as they fidgeted, distracted by their discomfort. He turned back to nuzzle Rose and began to count.

Rose went along with the Doctor’s act making it look as good as she could. Not in the least offended by his lacklustre nipple licking, she knew how many variables he was keeping in his mind and then there was the counting, his constant counting but then he was a Time Lord. To help him she’d kept her eye on the gorilla next to them until she realized his ears were affected too so he was no longer a risk to them.

Suddenly the Doctor turned so fast no one saw him as he plowed into the thick glass wall and it began to tilt perilously toward the audience and break. Rose was already moving toward the aisle on the right. As the wall broke like an iceberg onto the patrons. Screams and groans of pain turned to high pitched wails which the guards could not hear. 

The Doctor and Rose were already up the aisle and out the door, racing to the right and the steel door. This was it! If Handy Goodfellow hadn’t unlocked it they were lost. They breathed a sigh of relief as the door opened and they slipped through it. The Doctor locked it, grabbed their bag of clothes but just as they were about to make tracks the Doctor heard something and they stood in the dark, dripping tunnel listening. 

There it was again...a moan...of pain. Rose ran to it which caused the Doctor to whisper loudly to stop.

“Doctor, it’s Handy! I’m sure of it and he’s hurt!”

“Rose,” he called as quietly as he could, “it could be a trap.”

But Rose kept running so he followed her.


	14. Chapter 14

By the time they got closer to the sound of pain they’d heard in the tunnel, the Doctor had grabbed Rose’s hand encouraging her to stay still. He used his senses to verify no one else was present save the voice they’d heard. 

“Handy?” the Doctor called softly. He heard another groan and ran towards it using his sonic’s light to see him.

The Doctor fell to his knees and Rose joined, sucking in a breathe at the sight of Handy Goodfellow. He had been badly beaten. The signs of trauma were dreadfully apparent. 

“Handy...can you hear me?” 

When he got a nod the Doctor began moving the sonic around, repairing what he could. Rose held Handy’s head and shoulders on her lap so he wouldn’t be lying in water. All they could see were each other’s faces inside the blue globe of light produced by the sonic. 

Handy started to stir. He was still in rough shape but the Doctor had made essential repairs.

“Doctor,” he croaked, “ya gotta get goin’! They’ll be coming...soon...you gotta go.”

“Handy, tell me what happened?”

“They beat me for not fixin’ the food so you’d go mad but....I managed to make it ...here ....to unlock the door and leave your clothes. I was too weak to leave...,” Handy gasped in exhaustion and slumped down unable to go on.

“Ssshh, don’t worry Handy. We’re not leaving without you. Here we go then!”

The Doctor pulled Handy up by his arms and hoisted him over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. Rose held the sonic and led the way as they trekked forward through the dark tunnel.

Tears leaked from Handy’s eyes as he hung over the Doctor’s shoulder. No one could see them in the dark nor understand the reason for his tears. The Doctor and Rose hadn’t left him behind. They were rescuing him and despite the risk to their own escape, they were taking him with them. He’d have been content to wait for them to come back for him. He heard the Doctor talking to him softly, reassuring him and he just couldn’t stop crying. 

“You hang on Handy. I’m going to fix you up just like new. And you wait until you try a banana. Your life is going to change for the better.”

The Doctor knew Handy was crying and he told Rose to hold up for a moment. Gently he laid Handy down and Rose handed him the sonic.

“Handy, let’s try a different hold for awhile, might be easier for you.”

After a bit of adjustment and with Rose’s help they began to move again with Handy riding piggy back which seemed more comfortable for him as he could rest his head on the Doctor’s back.

Rose was trying to be of help by ranging as far forward as she could but that was limited by the light the sonic could disperse. She was worried about the Doctor and all the stress he’d been under and there didn’t look to be much relief from it for awhile.

She used the blue light to see and clear rocks and debris from his path. He was carrying dead weight and trying to move at speed too. They’d been slogging along for 45 minutes when Rose stopped.

“Doctor, why don’t you take a break?”

“No, we keep moving but I do want to stop long enough to change and get some water and pain medication for Handy.”

Rose nodded helping Handy get comfortable while the Doctor stripped off his prison robe. Standing in the blue light he was completely starkers and what could Rose do but feast her eyes as he tore his way through their clothes for his suit and coat? Even blue he was gorgeous Rose thought, admiring his form.

“Hope you’re enjoying your inspection Rose Tyler.”

“I am,” she snickered, waving the sonic, “the better to see you with,” she teased saucily.

Her stomach dropped when she saw his fire filled eyes drill into hers and she saw need there. Blimey, Rose thought, guess he’s not that tired!

“Glad you’re enjoying the view Rose but it’s my turn next. I want you in your kit, quick as you can and bring the robe with you. If they look for us down here I don’t want them to know we were here.”

“‘Kay,” Rose nodded, “by the way Doctor, you were right...nothing wrong with your bum or your bits!”

“Yours either,” the Doctor quipped with a wink.

Soon they were both dressed, Handy was resting easier with the pain medication from the Doctor’s kit and they were moving again as before. “Doctor, do you have a sense of how far we’ve come or how far we have to go?”

“Within ten minutes we’ll need to move more carefully and quietly. We can’t know if Travin made it. I might have you look after Handy while I scout ahead.”

When the Doctor gave her the signal, Rose dropped back and he carefully transferred Handy to her care. It was time for her to stay quiet and stay put as she watched him set out to scout the exit. Rose never got used to his special abilities. How was he moving in the black tunnel without a sound, not even a pebble disturbed? He needed the sonic with him which left Rose in the dark. She steeled herself not to let out a peep even if a rat ran over her. She held Handy with her arm around his shoulders as he leaned against her. The minutes crawled by and Rose started to fear something had happened to the Doctor.

She saw a light, a bright flood light, approaching from where the Doctor had gone but was it him? Where’d he get the light from? Oh my gawd, he wasn’t alone. She could hear another set of footfalls. She knew she had no way to escape and she couldn’t leave Handy and if they were captured she wanted to stay with the Doctor.

“Come on Rose. I found Travin and we need to move. Help me with Handy.”

She thought she’d cry with relief but she focused on getting Handy into piggyback position. With Handy on the Doctor’s back once more and with the light Travin had supplied the Doctor was able to move with speed and Rose had to hustle to keep up.

“Does Travin have a hopper with him Doctor?”

“He does and he has clearance codes. I want off this hunk of rock Rose and I don’t mind telling you it couldn’t happen fast enough.”

“Yeah, I feel the same way but we’re comin’ back for the other prisoners right Doctor?”

“Of course Rose, but we’ll have the TARDIS and it’ll be safer breaking into prison than out,”

Rose fell silent and soon she spied light up ahead where a door stood cracked open awaiting their arrival. She saw Travin’s silhouette standing against the dim background light. She couldn’t make much out but that was a good thing because it was obvious the door was heavily shrouded by bushes and shrubs. 

“Come on Rose, follow Travin to the hopper. I’ll bring up the rear and lock the door with the sonic. Hopefully we left no trace in the tunnel.”

Also desperate to get off Doridian and back to the safety of the TARDIS, Rose moved quickly. Travin took her hand and led her through thick underbrush with the hopper further concealed by a low canopy of trees. If anyone flew over Rose knew they’d never see the hopper.

“Travin, how did you ever find the door?”

“Handy, gave me good directions but even then it wasn’t easy. Come on, get yourself inside. I’ll help the Doctor with Handy.”

As Rose scrambled up the access ladder it pleased her to know Handy must have told Travin the name she’d given him and, even better, Travin was using it. The knots in her stomach didn’t let up until the Doctor and Handy were on board and the Doctor had secured clearance for departure. They were on their way home!

Several hours later a lone figure studied the imprint left by the hopper and the tracks left by the escapees. Cursing their escape the figure turned to leave but at the last second spied something in the trampled brush. Studying the item with interest, the stranger was surprised to recognize a standard Yale key. The key had dropped unseen from Handy’s pocket while he was semi-conscious and being handled into the hopper. The stranger smiled hurrying off to nearby transport.


	15. Chapter 15

It turned out there was a steady and regular flow of space traffic between Doridian and the planet where his TARDIS was parked. The planet didn’t have a name, just a number but as far as the Doctor was concerned it was more than qualified for his ‘Never Visit Again’ list and would henceforth be referred to as NVA.

With their clearance in hand for departure from Doridian, they received their travel vector to N.V.A. without challenge. The Doctor wasn’t expecting any because their clearance was under Travin’s name. Travin was a member of a slaver ship and his hopper rental wouldn’t attract any attention. 

However, the Doctor was worried about pursuit from Travin’s slaver ship and if they managed to avoid that problem what about the risk when they landed at the drop-off port, near Grace’s shop on N.V.A? While Grace’s shop was close to his TARDIS, it increased the risk he and Rose would be recognized by the slavers from the parts shop who frequented the port’s nearby bar. 

He glanced at Rose and Travin, both occupied with getting Handy comfortable. Under the hopper’s internal lights it was clear what a wretched life Handy had lived. His pallor was grey and he was gaunt and frail. The Doctor really wanted to get him under the medical scanner on his ship.

“Rose?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you still have the shimmer from Grace?”

“No, you have it...’member, ya put it in your right coat pocket.”

It struck the Doctor how familiar they were with each other, how they sounded like a typical couple. He liked the idea of being a couple, but that was complicated for him. There was no question that each of them knew an awful lot about each other and that usually happened when infatuation and attraction accompanied natural respect and affection for each other. There was one other big difference too. Unlike other companions he’d had sex with Rose. 

It shocked him to admit to himself that he’d forgotten all about the cameras as soon as he’d touched her with the intent to be inside her. With anyone else, under the same circumstances, he would have had to control his physiology to achieve an erection. But with Rose, from the moment she touched him, all he’d had to control was his raging desire. Had they been telepathically connected he would have been compelled to bond with her and now that he knew she loved him he was actively considering it. But he had to keep his distance until they were out of danger and they could talk responsibly. 

Struggling to stay focused the Doctor asked, “Travin, what are the chances your ship will catch up to us?”

“I think we’ll get back first. See the Captain hadn’t been paid for you and wanted to restock the ship on Doridian. Even if they’d gotten clearances right after everything got destroyed they’d still be behind us in the cue. Clearances and travel speed are strictly policed because of the traffic volume between our two planets.”

Clearly pleased at the news the Doctor changed topics.

“Glad to hear it but what about when we land? I’m thinking I should use the shimmer device to disguise my identity. Will it help get us safely there?”

“Well, my suggestion would be to disguise Rose. I brought a stun gun from my ship. I’ll use it like I’m ordering everyone to follow my directions. Slavers know me and any that know of your capture might believe you hadn’t been sold but no one would believe Rose hadn’t been. Rose needs the disguise.”

Clapping his hands together the Doctor declared, “Thank you Travin! That’s exactly what we’ll do. Now, if something goes wrong I’ll carry Handy so we can run. Rose you have the key ready.”

Within two blessedly uneventful hours the Doctor signaled he was entering their landing vectors. Astonishingly Travin checked in with the port manager which was a grandiose title for someone who picked up the rented hopper key, cancelled the vector coordinates on screen and inspected the hopper for any damage which was really nothing more than a glance out the booth window.

On the walk to the TARDIS, everyone wanted to run but Handy could barely walk and leaned on the Doctor while Rose warned Travin not to be dismayed by the apparent size of the TARDIS, promising it was bigger inside. When Rose unlocked the door Travin was scared but it was Handy who took the first step inside, his face full of wonder. Rose dragged Travin inside and closed the door firmly. She leaned against it and breathed a sigh of relief at being home. The Doctor pointed Travin and Handy to the console bench and went to the console immediately, placing his hands there and greeting his ship.

Finally the Doctor turned to his guests. “Alright you lot, here’s the plan. First, we’re going to have a proper meal....a delicious, proper meal. You’re not going to be hungry on my ship! Then, you two are going to the infirmary where you will receive assessment and treatment for whatever ails you.”

Thinking his guests would be pleased he couldn’t understand why they seemed scared.

“What’s wrong chaps?”

“Well, it’s pretty big in here like you said, but we’re sitting ducks Doctor. Even if you lock the door anyone could break in,” Travin explained.

“My friends, fear not. Once I close the doors of my ship there is no power in this universe that could breach them.”

“Now,” the Doctor announced, “as to my ship’s size, well, let’s just say the console room is large but, you haven’t seen anything yet. Come on then!”

“There’s more than this room?” Travin asked.

“Oh yes, come along,” the Doctor crowed with a wide grin.

Rose rolled her eyes knowing they were going on the ‘show-off’ tour but Rose soon realized he’d asked his ship to rearrange rooms so as to spare Handy too much walking. Still, Travin and Handy were gobsmacked at all they saw and Rose could see their admiration for the Doctor solidify into complete trust.

Finally they arrived at the galley with Rose and Travin heading in but Handy pulled the Doctor aside in the corridor. He was trembling and nervous but the Doctor couldn’t get him to explain what was wrong. 

The Doctor leaned his head through the door, “Rose, you go ahead with Travin. I’m going to the infirmary with Handy. We’ll join you shortly.”

Once Handy was sitting on the diagnostic bed the Doctor sat on a chair beside the bed and calmly said, “Handy, I’m a Doctor and that means I took an oath to do my very best for my patients and to maintain their absolute confidentiality. If you accept me as your Doctor there is nothing you cannot tell me about your condition that won’t remain just between you and me.”

Haltingly Handy Goodfellow struggled to explain his situation. “I never had a Doctor before but I know you are more than I could ever hope for but you may not want me as a patient. See, I’m not well down here.” He waved vaguely around his hips. “So, I’m scared if I eat proper food I’ll just mess myself and wreck all the nice blankets in my room that you showed me. It’s happened before. That room you gave me...I never been in anything like it. It’s so big with a bed like rich people have and got it’s own bathroom. I’d hate to make it all dirty.”

The Doctor knew Handy was embarrassed so he went into professional mode. Standing, he moved to a drawer and pulled out a fresh lab coat, washed his hands and declared he would be pleased to accept Handy as a patient. He had his patient lay back and he swung scanning equipment over him reassuring Handy it wouldn’t hurt. 

“Handy,” the Doctor soothed, “don’t worry about your room okay. We’re going to fix you up first okay?”

As he studied the results the Doctor was glad his back was to Handy because he might have betrayed his alarm at his patient’s condition. Steeling himself he propelled his wheeled chair back to the bedside.

“Handy, it’s not good food that causes the problem you describe. See you’ve been living in horrible conditions and eating bad food that has deposited multiple parasites and tapeworms in your gut and elsewhere. They are stealing most of the nutrition from you leaving you weak and starving. We have to fix that as a first priority. It’s not going to be painful but it will be unpleasant as the parasites and worms are killed by the medicine and your body expels them.”

Handy was starting to shake, “I best go somewhere else. It’s all gonna come out and mess up your clean rooms.”

The Doctor chuckled. “You’re not going anywhere and trust me I’ve been elbow deep in muck you couldn’t imagine in your wildest dreams. You are my patient and I want you well. Here’s what we’re going to do. I’ll give you the medicines you need. You’ll be placed in a special device that will support and position your body. Everything you expel from your mouth and your bottom will be whisked away and incinerated. So stop worrying about making a mess. After everything is gone from your system we start to rebuild with proper nutrition. Tonight I’m going to feed you intravenously. You need nutrition and high doses of various vitamins and trace elements. I will also give you a mild sedative to help you sleep soundly. Tomorrow you will feel better. I promise.”

The look of relief on Handy’s face was the closest the Doctor had seen to happiness on his face so he plowed on.

“Handy, you’ve had many broken limbs that have healed badly and need to be fixed and you need dental work but we can do that in the coming days. Once they’re properly fixed you won’t feel as much pain. But there’s something else. I would fail in my duty if I didn’t raise it with you.” He took his patient’s hand in his. “There is significant scarring in your rectum. It’s old... there since you were a child. Did you hide in the tunnel to stay away from those who did this to you?”

Handy nodded, his face full of shame and he began to cry.

With his gentlest voice the Doctor, still holding his hand, telepathically projected feelings of wellbeing while he explained a proposed treatment. 

“Handy, you were a defenseless child abused by monsters. None of this is your fault. I’m so sorry no one was there to help you. But I think I can help you now. I can repair the scars in a non invasive, all done from the outside, procedure but I can offer another treatment too. With your permission, I’d like to enter your mind and dull your memories of those horrific attacks on you. You’d remember you were abused but you wouldn’t remember any of the details of individual attacks. My people are telepaths. All I would do is place my fingers on your temples. Do I have your permission?”

Tears rolled down Handy’s cheeks but he agreed to the treatment with a nod and squeezed the Doctor’s hand unable to say more but he’d never felt more cared for in his life than by the Doctor and his kindness.

Rose found the Doctor later, standing watch over his patient who had received treatment and was now resting peacefully. She knew just from looking at him he’d been horrified by whatever he’d found.

“Doctor, I’m so glad Handy had you to look after him. But you look knackered. Please come to my room when you feel you can leave him. Just to sleep yeah, no pressure but you look like you need a hug.”


	16. Chapter 16

Satisfied Handy was comfortable and would sleep until morning the Doctor headed down the corridor in search of Travin. He wanted to check on his foot and do a general health scan. If he had any other ailments they’d have to wait until morning. 

He’d found Handy’s care and treatment grueling. His physician’s detachment had been non-existent. While Handy possessed an astonishing combination of fatalism and heroism, the Doctor was unsettled by his story written in the wounds to his mind and flesh. Not much good had ever happened to Handy and the Doctor found it a cruel injustice.

Not only had Handy saved him and Rose but he’d risked himself to do it. Badly beaten and barely able to walk he’d forced himself with his last strength to get to the metal door and open it so he and Rose could escape. Expecting them to leave him festering in the tunnel, wounded and beaten, Handy had been content to experience freedom through their escape with only the hope they’d return later to get him and the prisoners. 

Usually he swept in, did the big save and went on his way never sticking around for the mucking out. Of course they were going back for the prisoners but the Doctor wanted to make sure Handy’s life would be easy from here on out and Travin’s too. But he was still flummoxed as to how to accomplish this when he arrived at Rose’s door.

As soon as Rose opened her door the Doctor was sharing his frustration over how to help Handy and Travin. He was quite agitated and typically verbal outlining the problems a person who had zero education, let alone a documented name would have trying to make a life. How was such a person to get a job? 

Rose nodded sympathetically as she slipped his suit jacket down his arms and loosened his tie slipping it from his shirt and tucking it in his suit jacket pocket.

“I mean how is such a person even supposed to get recommendations, or talk about their experience when they’ve only been a guard for slavers? That does not look good on a resume Rose!”

Rose looked up at him and murmured her agreement unbuttoning his cuffs and shirt. As she slipped it off she asked, “How long before Handy recovers Doctor?”

As she slipped the dressing gown she’d bought him up his arms and settled it around his shoulders the Doctor replied, “He’ll never reach his full physical potential...too much damage,” the Doctor shook his head sadly, “and there’s still work I have to do but he’ll be well again and I helped sooth the damage to his mind. Probably I’ll need to be ready to get him settled-in somewhere in a few weeks Rose! That’s no time at all to get him ready!” 

Rose nodded her head again and knelt down undoing his trainers touching each ankle to get him to lift as she slipped each trainer off his foot while he carried on as though he was having enormous difficulty coming to grips with what to do.

“I mean Rose, I can’t just get him a house somewhere and leave him. How could he survive?”

“That’s a good point Doctor,” Rose said as she unbuttoned and unzipped him letting his trousers slip to the floor as she closed the dressing gown around him and cinched the tie.

It was at this point the Doctor stopped talking, blinked and looked down. She’d undressed him leaving his trousers pooled around his ankles.

“I look daft Rose,” he said astonished.

“Little bit yeah, but go on, kick your trousers off and come here. You need tea and some jammy dodgers.”

Once he got his tea and consumed all but one jammy dodger, he sighed, “I don’t know what to do Rose but I can’t just leave Handy and Travin somewhere ill equipped to make a living.”

“No, we can’t just leave them Doctor but I think we can start simple yeah? For example I think we can wait til they’re well. After all, we have to free the prisoners as a first priority. And during that time we learn more about them, maybe see what natural interests they have, what they’d like to do with their lives. We start there.”

The Doctor was keenly interested in what she was saying and nodding as he followed her suggestions so Rose continued. 

“Doctor, I think you underestimate the treasure trove of resources at your call. I mean there are all kinds of people across the universe that you’ve helped and I know they’d jump at the chance to help you give Handy and Travin a leg up, maybe with a job, with training and settling in.”

The Doctor beamed at her and Rose could see his shoulders relax from their tense position.

“And then, with the help of the wardrobe room, proper haircuts and shoes, I’m sure it’ll work out.”

“That’s brilliant Rose. We can probably come up with all kinds of opportunities!”

“Exactly,” Rose smiled, adding, “we only have to worry about fact finding for now.”

“Thank you Rose. You’ve made me feel better already!” Reaching for his mug he asked, “You going to eat that jammy dodger?”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Go on then. You can have it.”

Immensely pleased the Doctor made short work of it. 

“Doctor, can we talk about bonding now? I have a lot of questions but I got to thinking about one in particular.”

On the one hand the Doctor was glad she was giving the matter some thought but he wasn’t sure now was the time to talk about it but decided he’d hear her out because he was curious about what question had attracted her interest. 

“Go on then Rose. What’s got you curious?”

“Well, you said telepathic sex would draw you to bond with me but what if it’s not possible to bond with a human? I mean how would you know that? Have you ever tried to with a human before?”

The Doctor blinked. Bloody hell he hadn’t even thought about that. He’d just felt compelled to it but that was his physiological instinct. 

Rose could tell he hadn’t considered the possibility. She wanted him to bond with her. Of course she would think it through with him, just like she promised, but she felt sure where she’d come out on the matter. What she didn’t know was how it would affect him if she died and she had to know that before they made a final decision. But if it wasn’t even possible then they had another set of considerations to face.

“Doctor, maybe we should know the answer to that before we go further with our decision-making?”

“You make a good point Rose. I felt compelled to bond but I hadn’t considered whether it’s technically possible.” 

“Well, can we do that now?”

“Ahhh, I want to and soon but I’d prefer to be in a more neutral setting, fully clothed but I promise Rose it’s our first priority for tomorrow.”

“‘Kay,” she acknowledged. “Let’s go to sleep now.”

“I want to spend a couple hours working on my TARDIS. She isn’t fixed yet and since we went through hell to get that part I want to see if I can get it to work. We need to get out of here, rescue the prisoners and I want her fully operational. If you don’t mind I’ll drop by to sleep in a few hours,” he explained sheepishly.

Rose nodded. “Alright but promise you’ll come by to sleep.”

“I will.” He bent and kissed her lightly then went on his way.

Rose crawled in her bed and snuggled in. She didn’t want to think about what would happen if she wasn’t compatible for bonding with him. It was one thing to decide together not to bond but if they didn’t even have the option she knew she’d feel inadequate and that would color their relationship. Too tired to give it more thought, she rolled over and fell into a restless sleep. 

Finally some good luck the Doctor thought as he managed to modify the part he’d picked up on this dreadful planet. His beautiful ship was functional again, able to go anywhere in time and space. He hurried out from under the console and headed to Rose’s room.

Hours later Rose slipped free from the Doctor’s arms to head to the loo. On her way back she paused to study the Doctor’s sprawled figure on the bed. He was truly relaxed and for that she was happy. She’d often tried to comfort him after nightmares so it was a blessing to see him calm and relaxed.

She heard a sound like foot steps maybe. Rose knew it wasn’t Handy because the Doctor had sedated him. Maybe it was Travin lost in the corridor. She threw on her dressing gown and hurried down the corridor towards Travin’s room. He was sound asleep in his room nestled under his blankets.

At the infirmary she peeked in and there was Handy Goodfellow snoring softly. She felt a tingle of alarm run down her backbone. She’d heard something! Turning towards her room she heard it again! There was something or someone else in the TARDIS.


	17. Chapter 17

After several moments of intense listening with no further footstep sounds, Rose realized she must have been mistaken about what the sound had been. Maybe the sounds were just normal TARDIS night activities. Since she was usually asleep at night she probably didn’t know all the routine night sounds. She knew no one could get through the ships doors so she was just being silly getting spooked. Rose turned and headed back to her room.

With the Doctor sprawled across the bed she had to nudge him here and there to get enough space to lay down but as soon as she was positioned on her side he curled around her spooning her with a sigh. Rose decided quickly it was the best feeling ever.

Soon he was nuzzling into her neck and holding her close. “Where’d you go Rose,” he murmured.

“How’d ya know I was gone?”

“I know everything.” 

Rose could hear the tease in his voice. “Well, if ya must know, I thought I heard footsteps so I went to see if it was Travin or Handy but they were fast asleep.”

“Probably just the TARDIS resupplying the cupboards and refrigerator from stasis or another dimension. You must have mistaken the sound for footsteps.”

“Really?” Rose asked skeptically.

“Oh yes,” the Doctor confirmed, “she stores stuff in other universes. It’s not easy grabbing stuff stored in another universe Rose.”

“We have such interesting pillow talk Doctor,” Rose drily quipped.

His face lit up and he exclaimed, “I know! Isn’t it wizard Rose?” He snuggled up to her snaking his tongue around her ear and Rose felt his arousal pressing against her backside. 

Signaling her interest she snuggled her bum into him. “I thought you wanted distance until we know if you can bond with me?”

As he cupped her breast he whispered, “If I can’t bond with you, it doesn’t mean we can’t be together physically, like humans Rose.”

“What?!” Rose exclaimed turning in his arms to face him. “Doctor, lots of blokes on Earth tell ya that just so they can get in yer knickers.”

His luminous eyes made it plain he wouldn’t do that but he explained anyway. “I’m not lots of blokes Rose. I wouldn’t lie to you just to get in your knickers. I want to be formally joined to you under any circumstance you dictate.”

“But, but, ...what about what it will do to you when I age and die?”

Brushing her cheek softly he explained, “It will cripple me Rose but I’ve come to realize, even if our relationship doesn’t change, if you leave me it will be crushing so I want to be your mate and I want you to be mine if you’ll have me....whether we can bond or not. So I was thinking we could get married. You said you loved me, remember Rose?”

Rose started to cry and she clutched him to her whispering in his ear, “Of course I’ll marry you Doctor. I want to be with you forever!”

The Doctor sighed happily basking in her scent and embrace. “Thank you Rose.”

The Doctor hadn’t intended to propose tonight but just being in her arms, and floating in the comfort he found there, coalesced all his to-and-fro thoughts into one overriding realization. There was no one more important to him than Rose Tyler and he wanted to be hers anyway.

He was surrounded with Rose. Kissing his face and chest, licking his nipples. Stroking him. She was everywhere touching, teasing, licking. He felt his hearts beat amping up matching his erection’s progress to hard stiffness pretty much at the same time his higher cognitive functions left him.

Suddenly Rose stopped all the wonderful things she was doing and he growled in protest.

“Hang on,” Rose said, “if you find out tomorrow you can’t bond with me how will I know you won’t be disappointed in me.”

Wanting her touch and lips and kisses he said, “Rose I could never be disappointed in you. I want to marry you and if we can bond we will. But if we can’t I will still want you.”

But Rose didn’t start kissing him again so he took a good look at her. “Rose, I’m not just interested in getting in your knickers. I want us to be married because it’s a commitment we make to each other and no one else but I’ll take whatever you will give me as long as it means you’ll stay with me.”

And then she was back. “That works for me Doctor!”

Before she changed her mind he leaned his torso against the head board and lifted her onto his lap. 

Rose went eagerly. He’d somehow understood her fear about not being able to meet his needs if they couldn’t bond. But he still wanted her no matter the limitations! She was that important to him.

He reached for her, stroking her hair and shoulders, running his thumb over her bottom lip. Being the object of the Doctor’s attention at any time was exhilarating but this was different. If she had any doubts about his interest in her, even if they couldn’t bond, her fears evaporated under his touch. His fingers lingered over her cheeks and clavicles and shoulders showing her how much her gift meant to him. He made her feel like she was the only precious thing in his life, like he always wanted to remember how she felt, like he feared he would mess things up and lose her.

No, the Doctor wasn’t just any bloke because more than anyone she’d ever known she knew he would be faithful to her, he would die for her and he would always look to her for his comfort. As far as Rose was concerned it had to be as close as you could get to bonding. She remained still under his touch knowing he was showing her his feelings for her. 

The Doctor was no self-serving amateur either. Pulling her into his chest he ran his hands up her back and into her hair, angling her head for his kiss. Her last thought, before she was lost in him, was wonder at his intoxicating kisses. All on their own his kisses were like having sex. Maybe it was his scent or the escalating urgency she felt or maybe it was something in his touch but she was on fire from his kisses. She knew he was holding her back, not wanting to give way to the pounding need too soon. He was bathing her in kisses to her ears and neck and chest where his cool, puffing breaths were designed to be their own form of stimulation. Bathed in his attention she thrilled when he stopped several times to mark her as his. 

He bent her torso gently back and did things to her breasts and nipples that made her pant. Just seconds before she was going to take things in her own hands he used his leverage to pull her up by her thighs so she rested on her shoulders which were now positioned between his thighs. Blinking in surprise at the speed of the move she saw he’d spread her legs holding them apart. With his head bent forward, he was perfectly positioned to please her with his tongue. 

Rose had never experienced pleasure like he was giving her nor known anyone who knew how to take her to the brink then pull her back. He was in charge of her body and she was a begging supplicant. Nothing existed but his tongue and the sound of her mewling cries every time he denied her climax until at last he took her over the brink. In a masterful move, with his tongue firmly working her bud, he slid her torso back, broke contact and folded forward plunging his length into her even as she began clenching in release. It was so incredible her head was spinning and she cried out to him as her legs clamped around his back.

Lavishing Rose with his undivided attention he’d satisfied her but found himself in his own sexual frenzy. No more denial. He drove into her with powerful strokes that sizzled his nerve endings giving him no choice but to pursue the tight, wet heat at her core. The Doctor was drowning in pleasure as her thighs gripped him, her tight heat clenched around his girth and her lips moaned her pleasure in breathy groans in his ear, making him her devoted slave. 

By the time his release was too late to stop she was bent in half with her legs on his shoulders calling his name. The seizure that was a Time Lord’s release wasn’t over quickly. Rose saw the far away look of bliss as he released again and again. Probably it lasted a minute, maybe more, before his tension snapped and he collapsed slumping in her arms with a gravelly groan Rose found erotic.

Stroking the hair at the nape of his neck Rose floated in blissful happiness. She noticed his scent had changed confirming a theory she had about his body systems. He always smelled good but when he was preparing for sex his scent was stronger and she knew it was designed to heighten her sexual desire for him. It worked brilliantly too. Clever Time Lords!

She wasn’t the least bit tired. Normally she would want to sleep but she felt great, buzzing with energy in fact. Maybe his sperm was like regeneration energy. She felt him stir and he rolled over beside her, his arm possessively across her waist.

“We’re brilliant together aren’t we Doctor?”

“Oh yes!” he crowed happily. “We are Rose Tyler. I feel positively invigorated!”

“Me too,” Rose smiled. “Do ya think it’s too early for Handy to have banana pancakes?”

The Doctor leapt to his feet, inspired by her suggestion. Still supine on the bed Rose was busy studying his extraordinary features...below the waist.

He preened, now reassured Rose really wanted him and reached for her hand dragging her off the bed.

“Up and at it Rose. Time to feed the hungry and free the prisoners!”

“Slave driver,” Rose muttered but she was smiling and ready to get on so long as she was with him.

But they didn’t make it to the shower and it was the Doctor’s fault. One look at her bum and he bent her over the bedroom chair and showed her another way to shivering release.

Eventually showered and now ravenous they headed down the corridor to find Travin and check on Handy.


	18. Chapter 18

The TARDIS left the ‘never visit again’ planet and assumed a polar orbit around Dorian. Thanks to her shields she was invisible to local authorities and her polar orbit kept her away from the busy geostationary orbital traffic. 

Rose watched him adjusting coordinates to ensure an exact landing. She knew what had prompted his question to Handy about the TARDIS key he’d been given. Some intuition was making him reconsider whether someone had entered the TARDIS. While the Doctor often made it up as he went along he wasn’t careless and Rose knew he often ran through potential glitches before a mission. He knew if there was an intruder on board it could only happen if they’d gotten Handy’s key. Rose knew the ship would alert him if someone was trying to get in but would she if the person had a key? While she didn’t know the answer it didn’t matter because Handy’s answer meant the key was safely on board. She breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’re going in. The coast is clear,” the Doctor announced.

Rose immediately grabbed the nearest coral strut warning their passengers to hang on because landings could be rough.

“Oh ye of little faith!” the Doctor complained. The landing was both precise and soft.

“Show off,” Rose smirked.

“Alright you lot, you know what to do! If anything goes wrong get back here and we’ll regroup!”

Handy moved as fast as his hobbling gait allowed to exit the TARDIS and get to his quarters as the whole plan depended on him getting the keys to open the cells. Travin hurried to one side of the row of cells and Rose to the other, each moving up and down their rows telling the occupants to get ready to leave if they wanted to be rescued. Handy emerged and tossed the keys to Travin. He was carrying some sort of cylinder wrapped in cloth. Perhaps it was an item of personal importance to Handy the Doctor surmised, watching on the monitor. 

Neither Travin nor Rose had any difficulty convincing the prisoners to leave because they knew Rose had been a prisoner who had escaped. As the cell doors opened the scared prisoners tentatively approached the TARDIS. Smiling in welcome the Doctor ushered them into a large reception room his ship had created to one side of the console room. Predictably there were astonished gasps at the size within but the Doctor didn’t have time to enjoy the reaction. There were tables of food and bottles of fresh water as well as loo facilities and lots of comfortable seating waiting for them in the reception room.

“Come along, hurry now,” the Doctor urged, “I’m the Doctor and we’re escaping. I’m going to take you home. Yes, yes I know it’s bigger on the inside. Help yourself to food and water.”

Soon Rose had the keys and was moving down her row of cells opening the doors and directing prisoners toward the TARDIS where Handy and Travin were directing them inside while the Doctor stood at the door promising them he was there to take them home. The last cell was opened and Rose watched the prisoners run towards the ship. Just as she moved to follow them she was grabbed from behind by the giant who’d almost assaulted her. 

The Doctor was busy directing the last escaped prisoners when he heard Travin’s warning cry.

“Doctor, they got Rose!”

Handy half ran, half hobbled towards Rose with a shout, “Leave her alone!” Then in a panic he yelled, “Doctor, he’s strangling her!”

As Handy reached the giant he was easily smashed to the ground with one sweep of the giant’s free arm. Handy saw the giant was gripping Rose’s throat with the fist of his other arm. She was dangling in the air seriously struggling for air as Handy tried to clear his head and get up to help Rose. He need not have worried. 

Handy heard a roar, sensed approaching fury and then saw a brown blur coalesce into a raging Doctor. Watching astonished he saw the Doctor plant his feet firmly and draw back a lethal fist that landed so fast against the giant’s jaw Handy never actually saw it. It seemed everything turned to slow motion as he saw the giant fall backward like a mighty tree felled in the forest and the Doctor catch Rose before she hit the ground. 

The Doctor was frantic as he took in Rose’s pale face then quickly lowered her to the ground scrambling to resuscitate her. Ironically it was Handy who couldn’t breathe. He was worried the giant had broken Rose’s neck. As the seconds ticked by Handy held his breath. He saw Travin standing in the ship’s door with a look of horror on his face. A few prisoners were looking out the blue doors shocked by the drama they were witnessing. There was dead silence, save for the Doctor’s breaths of life to Rose. Handy was sure even the magic ship had stilled to silence.

The Doctor was desperately applying mouth to mouth resuscitation but it wasn’t working and he was frantic and ready to give her a small dose of regeneration energy because he’d never get her to the infirmary in time. The giant was starting to wake and he couldn’t leave Rose. 

“Stay with her Doctor! Travin and I will handle him,” Handy cried.

Travin and Handy both sat on the giant’s chest in a practical move that neutralized the giant’s recovery. Handy saw the set of keys on the giant’s belt and realized the owners had replaced him with the former prisoner after the Doctor had wrecked the place and rescued him.

The Doctor was counting. He was also second guessing using regeneration energy but he had to make a decision soon or there would be brain damage. It was dangerous but he would slow time around them and get her to the infirmary. He’d no sooner completed the thought when she struggled against him and heaved in a breath of air.

“Rose!” he shouted.

Her eyes popped open and she continued to suck in air. The Doctor grabbed her holding her close.

“Trying to breathe here,” Rose gasped.

“Oh yes! You do that Rose Tyler. You draw that oxygen into your beautiful lungs my sweet girl. Just stay here and breathe! I’ll be right back.”

The Doctor sprang from his position on the ground and went to the giant. Travin and Handy scrambled off him and the Doctor fisted his tunic lifting his torso off the ground shaking him. When the giant’s eyes slowly opened the Doctor spoke.

“Listen up because I’m only going to make this offer once! If you stay here you will slowly rot from the inside out or you could come with us and I’ll take you home, wherever home is. Since I’m rescuing all the prisoners I’m thinking your new bosses are not going to think much of their new jailor. Your choice. What’s it going to be?”

The giant blinked and groaned, “I’ll go with you.”

“Sensible choice. One other thing. If you touch my Rose again I will kill you.”

The giant nodded.

“Alright, all aboard you lot. We’re leaving.”

The Doctor spun around, picked up Rose and they all entered the TARDIS. Handy closed the doors as the Doctor lovingly placed Rose on the console bench and directed the giant to the food and water. Handy stayed sat with Rose and Travin kept an eye on the reception room and the giant in particular.

The Doctor went to the console and took them into the vortex not sparing a thought for the system they were leaving behind. He knew Rose would make him go back for Grace but not today.

Rose knew her mishap had shaken the Doctor badly. He wanted to get married if they couldn’t bond. Now he was scared because he was experiencing first hand what it felt like to watch his mate slip away in front of his eyes. She needed to be close to him now so she slipped off her seat and went to him.

Standing beside him she took his hand. “Thank you Doctor for saving me and the giant. I know how hard that was for you but it was the right thing to do.”

The Doctor looked at her incredulously. “I could have lost you Rose,” he whispered.

“I’m not sure why but I feel quite certain that there’s far less chance of one of us being killed while we’re together than if we’re apart. See, we have each other’s back. I will always come for you Doctor just like you did for me just now. If we separate I just know it wouldn’t go well for either of us. Neither of us would have peace, neither of us would be happy again.”

He clutched her against his chest and whispered, “I’m not strong enough to leave you behind like I should.”


	19. Chapter 19

Travin and Rose were in charge of counting passengers and documenting their destinations. Handy was tasked with identifying what food was suitable for those who could not safely eat from the hastily provided spread. The Doctor watched from the corner of his eye as Rose got closer to the giant. He need not have worried as Handy and Travin quickly flanked her as soon as she reached the giant who was suitably respectful and subdued.

As it turned out it would be relatively easy to return the passengers home because a number of them came from the same planet. Similarly, there were only a few who required special food. The Doctor had the TARDIS materialize it on the banquet table to the gasp of his guests. Three men and two women rushed to the table but did not take their native food before first bowing to the Doctor.

Rose went to the galley to get the four of them tea. Travin and Handy kept an eagle eye on the giant and the Doctor sent the blue box to the first drop off destination. 

It turned out they’d misjudged the giant. He’d been a victim too and done what was necessary to survive but with freedom his true personality emerged. The Doctor and Rose were gobsmacked to see the entire group of refugees in gales of laughter from the giant’s patter and stories.

Rose was standing beside the Doctor at the console chuckling. “Just goes to show ya can’t judge a book by it’s cover. He’s really comical Doctor, not mean at all. Even better his name is Fred!”

“Rose, he tried to kill you! And how can his name be Fred? That’s an Earth name so not suspicious at all!”

“I know. But he didn’t want to kill me, just make sure I didn’t escape so the owners woulda thought he was tryin’ to protect their property. He just didn’t realize how strong his grip on my neck was.”

The Doctor snorted his disbelief but Rose continued her explanation.

“As for his name, it doesn’t come from Earth. He’s named after a tool used for carpentry that’s called a ‘fred’. It does special carving as does Fred so I reckon his Dad thought a lot of him cuz they don’t get named until they show a skill.

The Doctor just stared at her amazed. Finally he said, “You found all that out in the brief time you spoke to him!”

“Well yeah! Had to ask his real name didn’t I? And then I told him people on my planet had that name and he explained what his name meant. Easy peasy.”

The Doctor just shook his head in wonder. He knew it was Rose. People just told her things.

Returning the prisoners went well and involved getting to the planets, then zeroing in on local addresses and landing where they lived. Then came the effusive thanks at the door before they left. Rose watched amused as the Doctor tried to be gracious in the face of their fawning regard when all he wanted was to get on to the next destination.

Rose, on the other hand, was loving the whole scene. Her spirit was lifted by the bubbling enthusiasm, the frequent laughter and the tears of thanks. They were all going home because of the Doctor and his merry band and the TARDIS was full of happiness.

Fred was the last to leave, standing stoically at the blue door. He nodded to the Doctor and said, “Wicked punch ya got there Doctor but I coulda beat you in a fair fight.”

The Doctor snorted, “In your dreams Fred.”

“Bye Rose. You come from good stock and I’m sorry I hurt you.”

Just before he stepped out the door he turned back to the Doctor, “Anything you need Doctor, anytime, anywhere, come get me. I’ll help.”

The Doctor nodded and Fred was gone with a cheery whistle and a wink at Rose. The Doctor watched the big man on the monitor. In the distance he saw a woman and four children burst from a cheery little house hurrying towards the giant named Fred who was now racing towards them and the Doctor smiled, realizing Fred had done what he thought would get him back to his mate. He took them into the vortex feeling they’d done well.

It was mid afternoon and since they’d all been noshing from the food supplied for the prisoners there was no need for lunch so the Doctor decided he’d fix Handy’s teeth. Rose wanted to do laundry and then bake something for desert. Travin was interested in going to the arboretum and the library. Everyone went their way eager to meet later for dinner. 

When the Doctor entered the galley he was delighted to find Rose alone and the heavenly scent of baking. He scooped her up in his arms and whirled her around.

Rose laughed happily. “We liberated the prisoners, took them home, performed dental surgery and made chocolate caramel cake. All in a day’s work Doctor!” 

“Yummm, chocolate caramel cake, can’t wait. But I hope there’s some time left for us to be alone Rose Tyler.”

With a tongue touched smile Rose purred in his ear, “Doctor, that’s not work, that’s pleasure and we have to make time for that!”

“Brilliant!” the Doctor rumbled, “tonight we make time for us.”

Then he reluctantly put her down with a last nuzzle before starting dinner.

Not long after Travin and Handy arrived and it looked to the Doctor that Travin had some news whereas Handy sat shyly at the dinner table placing the cylinder that he’d wrapped in cloth beside him. The Doctor’s curiosity was piqued but before he could ask what it was Travin interrupted.

“Doctor,” Travin began, “Handy has a gift for you and Rose. He’s shy that he doesn’t have anything grander for you but I think he’s wrong about that. Go on Handy!”

Curious, Rose moved closer to see what was up. Handy carefully unwrapped the roll beside him and handed the roll of what looked like paper to the Doctor. Rose cleared away the nearby plates and utensils so the Doctor could unroll it.

Once unfurled both Rose and the Doctor stood astonished looking at the paper. Rose, started to cry. “Handy, you did this?”

“He sure did!” Travin exclaimed.

“By Rassilon Handy, you are gifted, extremely gifted,” the Doctor whispered unable to look away from the drawing.

“Told ya didn’t I,” Travin crowed throwing his arm around Handy’s shoulders.

Still staring at the portrait Handy had made of him and Rose looking at each other, the Doctor couldn’t believe the likeness he had captured but not just the likeness, the softness in their expressions as they looked at each other. Handy’s genius showed in his keen powers of observation and the subtleties he had captured. The Doctor knew art, had seen the best from many galaxies but Handy’s skill was breathtaking despite his inferior instruments. Oh my, what could he do with proper materials? Somehow Handy had channeled his fear and suffering into great art. 

The Doctor loved surprises and it showed on his face. “Handy, this gift is precious to me and Rose. I love it! I think it’s brilliant and I will keep it as long as I live. It will be properly framed and put above the fireplace in the library because it’s where Rose and I sit together to relax.”

“Don’t you see Doctor? Rose said tugging his sleeve. “This is what Handy’s meant to do. It’s his calling!”

“It surely is!” the Doctor smiled.

Handy’s face showed surprise too and just a glimmer of pride as he nodded shyly at the Doctor. Then he looked at Rose and said, “I didn’t know I needed a name but you were kind to me and gave me a good name and then good things started to happen to me. This is all I have to give you.”

Rose reached across the table for his hand and squeezed it. 

“I’ll always remember you Handy Goodfellow and I’ll always have your gift. Thank you.”

Travin was so proud of Handy and thrilled the two of them had finally found a way free of their old lives. He didn’t know what was to come but these new friends were kind and generous and maybe most important, they were on the right side of things. 

Travin didn’t know how he and Handy would survive now or where they’d end up but he’d never slept better nor felt less afraid than he did in the Doctor’s marvel of a ship. He’d decided a long time ago when Handy was barely a teenager that he’d try to look out for him. He didn’t have parents to help him and he was brutally treated. Travin knew Handy wouldn’t do well on his own so wherever they ended up he’d get a job and put some money aside for Handy for when he died and couldn’t look after him anymore.

Their meal was a joyous occasion. The food was inhaled by Handy and Travin and the double portion the Doctor offered was quickly accepted. The cake’s virtues were extolled by all and throughout the Doctor chattered with his guests insisting they take tea in the arts room so he could put together an art kit for Handy full of essential supplies. Handy was near tears at the Doctor’s generosity.

Rose was happy to see the Doctor enjoying his guests. He was in his element, truly relaxed and enjoying himself. Like most TARDIS guests Handy and Travin were in awe of the Doctor, willing to jump at the chance to do whatever he suggested. 

Although he rescued people all the time the Doctor wasn’t interested in their devotion to him. There was something special about these two that fascinated him. Rose had never seen him more engaged with people he’d rescued and she thought he was trying to puzzle out how Handy had kept his kindness and regard for others and why Travin had risked himself to help Handy since he was a boy. Their circumstances should have hardened them into cold, self-serving criminals. The Doctor wanted to know why they made the choices they did. For all his super intelligence, sometimes he couldn’t figure out simple things. Still, she was delighted he was relaxing and enjoying himself.


	20. Chapter 20

Still buoyed by his time with Handy and Travin in the art room, the Doctor was eager to get Rose’s view about them now that they were alone in her room. 

“I just don’t get it Rose. How can Handy be such a good person after all the abuse he suffered? He’s intelligent. He could have done well for himself, even in his tragic circumstances, just by taking advantage here and there. I mean, he had no one to teach him morals and ethics.”

He plopped down on her armchair watching her plump up the pillows on the bed and pull down the covers. Rose was smiling inside at how easily the Doctor had accepted that they now slept together. Sitting cross-legged on the bed facing him she gathered her thoughts.

“Well, lots of smart minds all over the universe tend to agree on one simple truth. And I think it’s what guides Handy and Travin even if they don’t know it.” 

“Go on Rose, you got me curious.”

“Well, see, those slavers, grifters and cheaters they operate on survival instinct. They figure they can best get what they need or want by forcing others to their will, by taking them, selling them, blackmailing them’ or whatever. To them it’s survival of the fittest and even if they get rich they still follow that path because bein’ king of the jungle guarantees your survival and the best of everything. But it’s kinda self-defeating innit?”

“How so Rose?”

“Survival of the fittest is self defeating because it leads to war, death and famine as the haves and have nots fight to survive. But Travin and Handy know how the victims feel so they believe in a survival instinct too but one of a much higher order.”

“What Rose? What?”

“You told me about the words the philosophers used to describe that survival instinct and even if you didn’t use the same words my mum used, she taught them to me when I was little.”

“How in Rassilon’s name could your mother and I share the same philosophy about anything Rose?”

“She called it the golden rule Doctor. ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’,” Rose said softly. “See, Handy and Travin are both smart and they know cruelty up close and personal. They don’t want to be cruel to others cuz it just brings more cruelty.”

Scooping her up in his arms the Doctor whispered in her ear, “Never thought I’d say this Rose but your Mother is right. What would I do without you?” He sat with her on his lap as she sighed happily.

“Rose, can we figure out now if I can bond with you? I wanted to wait until you knew that nothing can make me think any less of you even if we can’t bond.”

“I believe you Doctor. Go on then. I’m ready!”

“Rose, are you sure you’re not going to feel bad if I can’t bond with you?”

“I’ve thought about it and I figure we already have a pretty strong connection. I mean I’m okay if you go in my mind Doctor,” Rose said taking his hands in hers. “I know it’s not as good for you as Time Lord bonding but at least it gives your mind some comfort. And it would be wonderful if I could bond with you but, if I can’t, we do already have something of a bond if you think about it.”

The Doctor was listening to her with total concentration and studying her micro expressions as she paused to organize her thoughts. All he could see in her whisky colored eyes was her deep sincerity.

“The way I see it Doctor, it’s kinda like we already have a bond cuz we’re already sensitive to each other’s needs. We look out for each other. Plus we appreciate each other and forgive each other. It’s kinda like, through all our travels, we have developed our own intimacy and trust. Don’t ya think Doctor?”

“I do Rose. What we have already is so much more than I could ever hope for and you are the best thing that ever happened to me, before and after Gallifrey,” the Doctor confessed. “So here we go then!”

He reached for her temples and Rose saw his long fingers were steady and his beautiful, ancient eyes were closed as he slipped into her mind.

“Rose,” he whispered, “do you sense me here?”

“Of course Doctor. I did before didn’t I?”

“Okay, just checking so now I’m going to look at your brain structure to see if I can link us together.”

“Does it mean you’re looking at my memories?”

“No, memories are in a whole other place.”

“Oh my!” the Doctor said.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“It’s not that...it’s just unexpected.”

“What?” Rose asked in alarm. “Do I have a brain tumor or something?”

Feeling her alarm the Doctor shook off his fascination to reassure her. “No Rose you don’t have a tumor and even if you did I could cure you...”

“Doctor, can you get to the point please. What did you find?”

“I’m gobsmacked Rose but we can most definitely bond. Some humans have latent telepathic abilities, like you reaching the psychic paper with a mental cry. That’s why I thought a bond might be possible. But Rose, you have a receptor already here, exactly where I would connect a bond if you were a Time Lady! I don’t understand...”

Rose interrupted, “Doctor, what’s it going to do to you if we bond and I get old and die?”

“Well, that’s the other puzzling finding. It’s your telomeres Rose. They’re abnormal.”

“Blimey what are telomeres? What happens if they’re abnormal and what’s it got to do with what happens to you if I die?”

Sensing her frustration the Doctor hastened to summarize, “As people age their telomeres shorten but yours are as pristine as the day you were born...”

“What’s it mean?” Rose pleaded. “And yes Doctor I know you’ll need to test me but, until then, what do you think it means?”

“I think it means you’ll live for a very long time.”

Rose paused considering his words. “Good, then let’s bond. We’ll be together a long time and that means neither of us have to worry about what happens to you cuz now I won’t be dead!”

“But Rose, you don’t think we should find out why and what about thinking through the consequences of a long life?”

“Nope, we don’t need to cuz we love each other and there’s no good reason now not to bond unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“I haven’t changed my mind Rose. Here we go then.”

The Doctor admired this quality about Rose. She had a mind of her own. She knew when she needed time to make a decision but didn’t hesitate to act when she made her decision. He’d been worried his enthusiasm for bonding would unfairly influence her decision. But here, in her mind, it was so obvious she was overjoyed at being joined to him. He laughed out loud when she reacted to his thought.

“Are we bonded yet or are you dilly dallying? And don’t think this means you don’t have to marry me too cuz there’s Mum to think about.”

“Please Rose, let’s not think of your Mother during our bonding.”

Just as the Doctor finished tying their synapses together there was a frantic knock at the bedroom door.

Planting a kiss on her plump pink lips he stood and set her on the bed. “I’ll get it Rose.

The Doctor opened the door to a fidgeting, shaking with nerves, Handy who blurted out, “I’m sorry Doctor, I didn’t know, I didn’t mean to..”

“Handy,” the Doctor said, “whatever it is I’m sure we can fix it. What’s happened?”

“The key, the key you gave me, I went to look for it to give it back bit it wasn’t in my old trouser pocket! I can’t find it. I don’t know where it is. I’m useless! You gave it to me and I lost it!”

Handy was riddled with anxiety and trembling violently, like he expected the Doctor to strike him. Rose hurried to the door and, stepping around the Doctor, she put her arm around his shoulders.

“Ssssh, Handy it’s okay. It was an accident. Remember when we carried you in the tunnel and then Travin and the Doctor lifted you into the hopper, well the key probably fell out of your pocket. It wasn’t your fault, just an accident is all.”

But for Handy it was the Doctor’s forgiveness that mattered. Handy looked up at him for absolution but the Doctor was lost in thought communing with his ship about a possible stowaway. He was not in the moment and it was clear from the look on Handy’s face he thought he was being rejected.

Rose decided it was time to test their bond so she called to him, “Doctor, you have to tell Handy you’re not rejecting him. He’s devastated.”

The Doctor immediately looked into Handy’s face. “It’s only a key Handy. Anybody can lose a key. Done it myself a few times. Besides Rose is right. You didn’t even lose the key. It fell out of your pocket when you were passed out from trying to save us. It’s nothing to worry about and besides I have more keys.” 

The Doctor smiled reassuringly at Handy. “Go on then, have a good night and we’ll see you in the morning. Tomorrow I’m going to fix your bones.”

Rose could see Handy’s shoulders drop in relief. When the Doctor looked into you and gave his forgiveness anyone could understand the urge to kneel in gratitude, although the Doctor wouldn’t like that. He just had that effect on people.

They watched Handy hobble his way down the corridor. Rose took the Doctor’s hand and over their bond she said, “There’s an intruder in the TARDIS?”

“Yep,” the Doctor sighed.


	21. Chapter 21

Rose was pressed against the wall in her room being nuzzled by the Doctor who held her arms against the wall above her head. “Rose,” he purred, “you are mine now and we are bonded.”

Humming her agreement, Rose watched him through half lidded eyes supported by his strong thigh between her legs holding her up against the wall. That and her arms held over her head gave him access to her lips, throat and chest something she was freely offering and he was appreciating with his kisses and tongue. 

It was intoxicating but his scent was on a whole other level. Rose felt sure it was designed to draw her to him and ignite her desire for him. Not that she needed it! He was gorgeous and that alone provoked squirming need in her but when he looked into her with those black eyes she turned into a fawning wet noodle. Now she rocked on his thigh, breathing in his scent, and trying to remember something important. 

“Doctor,” she panted, her breaths puffing against his neck which did nothing to cool his intentions, “the intruder...we have to...to ...find them,” she purred her voice husky and her tongue flicking his ear lobe.

Clearly unconvinced, her bond mate rumbled his disagreement pushing aside her top with his nose and flicking his tongue over one nipple. 

“I don’t want to Rose.... it’s our honeymoon,” he growled.

Panting and rocking against him, Rose moaned, “I thought we were going to the liquid fire waterfalls of Anapalashia.”

Giving her a consuming kiss he pressed against her hissing, “No law against two honeymoons!”

“But, but the intruder...could hurt the TARDIS or our guests...we can’t do this now,” Rose pleaded although her body was still moving against him in the most enticing ways.

His voice took on a bit of a whine when he explained, “Rose I need to give you my oath and tell you my real name. It’s our honeymoon.”

Rose shook her head trying to clear her senses of him and managed to wrestle her hands free and push his chest back with her hands.

The Doctor stood panting, his eyes black, staring at her bent over with her hands on her knees trying to get her own control back and he couldn’t help but smile. Rose was on fire for him and that made him feel like she was really his. While he was sure he’d tied their bond properly he wanted to be sure one of it’s major functions was working. 

Rose was human and he didn’t know if she would be affected like a Time Lady would. But studying her trying to regain control after just a few minutes of his nuzzling, licks and kisses, he had no doubt no other male would satisfy her like he would nor would she be attracted to another. He almost stumbled at the realization he was truly mated and with the one for whom his hearts thundered. He was no longer alone. 

“You are so hot for me Rose Tyler,” he declared with a smirk.

“Yeah, well you can wipe that smirk off your face smarty pants,” she said pointing at his crotch. “You’re still hard as a rock!”

He adjusted himself and watched her eyes zero in on the action. Yep, she was hot for him. He would have still bonded with her even if she didn’t have a sexual appetite but she was going to be insatiable and a perfect match for him. 

Despite that he couldn’t resist teasing her. “Yes, I am hard as a rock and you are spurning me in my hour of need, barely an hour into our new bonded status! He sniffed theatrically carrying on with his staged indignation. “Is that the way it’s going to be Rose? You got the spaceship and the pilot, so you no longer need to pleasure your husband.” 

Cheeky as ever and not buying his act one bit, Rose shot back, “Nope, you’ll need to put out for me but not now so come along then. Oh, you forgot to mention I got the keys to the spaceship too so there’s gonna be some changes around here.”

“Perhaps now is a good time to remind you I’m the only one can fly this ship.”

“Yeah, but I’m the only one can make the banana bread,” she deadpanned.

“So I’m the henpecked husband then?”

“Yep,” Rose replied.

“I’m okay with that,” the Doctor smiled. “Where we off to then?”

“Console room,” Rose smiled up at him with a wink and off they went hand in hand.

“Doctor, aren’t ya worried the intruder messed with the TARDIS or the console? You said you released the TARDIS from having to obey you.”

“Although my TARDIS is no longer collared to me, the console is more or less password protected. It won’t work for anyone but you and me.”

“Whew, that’s good to know,” Rose said looking up at him. “So how come someone got on board without ya knowin’?”

The Doctor went to the console focused entirely on the read outs. 

“Is it because they had a key? Is that why the TARDIS didn’t tell ya? Rose asked. 

Rose waited patiently as the Doctor circled the console manipulating the controls and studying readings. Gawd she hadn’t wanted to push him off her. Even now she was seriously thinking of reconsidering because everything about him flooded her with a pressing need for him from the fringe over his forehead to his strong thighs and bum. She liked his chest and his lean frame too and his bits were ......

Standing at his spot he looked up at her, his black eyes drilling into hers. “Change your mind Rose Tyler?” His voice was low and syrupy and she felt somehow drawn to the inflections and timbre of his voice. 

She shook her head again trying to regain her equilibrium even as his drawl seemed to snake down her spine straight to her hips, making her squirm. Unconsciously she tugged on the tee at her neck as though overheated and seeking cool air. Was it always going to be like this between them she wondered.

“Yes,” he said, “it will always be like this except when you’re pregnant. Then it will be a even more powerful. But I’ll be up to the challenge Rose,” he snickered. “I won’t let you down when you’re pregnant,” he grinned.

Rose was practically undone by the smug bastard. He knew exactly what he was doing to her.

“Are you reading my mind?” 

“I could if I wanted but you’re a very good sender Rose, especially emotions. They come through clear as a bell and attracted me because I am your bond mate. Are you sorry now that you rejected your bond mate?”

“You are too smug for your own good Mister ‘n how come I can’t read your thoughts ‘n when are you gonna answer my questions?

The Doctor walked towards her but Rose held her hand up. “Stop right there Doctor! I won’t hear your answers if you start doin’ that stuff you do.”

“As you wish,” he smiled. “I’m going to have to learn to drop my shields for you. I’m afraid shielding my mind from enemies is my default status but I assure you Rose I look forward to the day we are in total communion. I’ll start your lessons straight away so you know how to filter all the extraneous information my brain processes.”

Rose nodded and the Doctor proceeded at a distance.

“You’re right Rose that the TARDIS let our intruder in because they had a key but she should have told me when the key holder arrived. There’s only one reason she wouldn’t.”

“What’s that then?” Rose asked, her full attention now back on task.

“If she recognized the key holder.”


	22. Chapter 22

“So you’re saying if the TARDIS recognized the key holder she wouldn’t tell you? But that doesn’t make sense. Whenever Jack comes on board and we’re not in the console room the TARDIS tells you,” Rose pressed with a quizzical expression.

Then she added, “And obviously, if the TARDIS knew the key holder, it would have to be someone you gave a key to in the past?”

“I’ve certainly given keys to people over the years. Yes, that’s true,” the Doctor replied neutrally.

“Yes but again, the TARDIS would have told you if someone with a key from your past came on board, just like she does with Jack!” 

“You’d think, yes,” he agreed.

“And not only that, it’s too much of a coincidence that someone gets on board on a planet where one of your keys was lost!”

“Well,” the Doctor pointed out, “technically the key was lost on Doridian not N.V.A.”

“Close enough,” she griped in frustration.

Pausing to study him, Rose observed, “Hold up! You should be havin’ a proper nutty at the thought of a stranger in your ship yet you don’t seem concerned at all.”

“Rose, I just got married, after hundreds of years alone. Can I not have a moment to...to...I don’t know...bask in the glow before we run head long into the next ordeal?”

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise making it plain she was completely gobsmacked by his behavior. His hair should be tugged into meringue peaks by now!

“Nope! Nope! that’s not it,” Rose pronounced. “Even though we just bonded and got robbed of time together, you’d still be freaked out if someone stowed away on the TARDIS. You’d be runnin’ round the console trying to get to the bottom of it!”

Rose walked around in a little circle in front of the console. Finally she declared, “You’re leaving something out! I can feel it from you. Whatever it is you’re excited about it! Did you never learn to share with the class? Spill Mister!” she ordered.

“Oh well done Rose! You’re getting the hang of it and I’m very proud of you!”

“Thank you Doctor. Now, spill!”  
“Very well Rose. It’s just a hypothesis mind you and hence the reason I didn’t share but, as far as I know, the only other circumstance where the TARDIS wouldn’t tell me someone came on board is if that person was from Gallifrey!” he announced with excitement in his voice.

Rose stared at him astonished. “But I thought you could detect another Time Lord anywhere in the universe?”

“True but I said Gallifreyan, someone who might not be a Time Lord but a person from Gallifrey. Some were not bred or trained to be Time Lords.”

“Doctor,” Rose said calmly, “as exciting as that would be, ya gotta admit it would be a hell of a coincidence. First off, Gallifreyans don’t regenerate like Time Lords right?

The Doctor nodded in agreement,

“And even if a Gallifreyan got .... I don’t know...maybe put in stasis for hundreds of years and then somehow got free, I mean it’s a bit neat innit that someone from Gallifrey survived the war and just happened to be here on N.V.A. and just happened to find the key that slipped from Handy’s pocket on Doridian?”

“Of course you’re right Rose and believe me the same thoughts have occurred to me but in the short term I wasn’t too worried. See, no Gallifreyan would try to harm a TARDIS.”

Rose knew he was wanting this but she worried he wasn’t being realistic about the situation. She felt they had to sort things straight away so they knew what risks they might be facing.

“Doctor, I realize how exciting this must be for you so it’s all the more reason to sort out this puzzle yeah? And I am chuffed you were willing to delay investigatin’ it just to be with me.”

She saw his dazzling smile and really, really didn’t want to rain on his parade but she was a lot less convinced than he was. She went to him and with a hand on each of his hearts she looked up into his soft eyes.

“Doctor if this ‘Gallifreyan’ is here with us wouldn’t they be just as eager for a reunion as you are?”

Swaying her gently he murmured, “I know what you’re saying Rose but odd as it seems it’s possible a Gallifreyan intruder would want to avoid the pilot of a TARDIS. Some Time Lords could be .....well,... they could ‘lord’ it over others.”

“No,” Rose gasped in mock horror, “say it’s not so!”

“Alright, whose the smarty pants now? Here’s the strange thing. I can’t find any evidence that our stowaway has been to the galley. In fact I can’t find them on sensors.”

It was becoming a mystery now and Rose perched on the console bench to voice another question. “Am I right Doctor that the situation seems to point to the TARDIS as an accomplice? I mean surely you’ve asked her where this person is right? That means she’s not telling you.”

“I know, isn’t it great? Love me a mystery Rose!”

Rose’s eyebrows crunched together in confusion but the Doctor explained.

“Whatever the circumstances that led a Gallifreyan on board, the TARDIS would never cooperate if we were in danger. All she says is that all will transpire as it must.”

Rose still had her reservations though. “Doctor, that’s not exactly a promise everything will be alright is it? But you seem convinced so what now? Stay in the vortex until someone makes a move?”

“Precisely, for now anyway. We’ll keep our eyes open and if nothing happens we’ll provoke our stowaway into revealing their identity.”

“Yeah, okay I guess that’s all we can do for now,” Rose reluctantly agreed. “You know I thought I’d figured it out. I mean there is one person who was on both planets when we were and might have been following us.”

“Ahhh, yes, you mean Grace,” the Doctor responded. “I thought of that but how could she have known about the tunnel we used to escape, let alone find the exit or the key plus the TARDIS doesn’t know her.”

“Yeah she’d have to be Gallifreyan and she implied she was from Earth plus she’d have to have real good tracking technology to follow us.”

As was often the case, Rose’s observation twigged something with the Doctor and he made a mental note to take another look at the shimmer Grace had given Rose.

“Rose, do you remember where the shimmer I used ended up?”

Rose thought his question was odd because the Doctor had an eidetic memory and this was the second time he’d asked her about the shimmer. “It’s probably in my room cuz I used it on the walk from the jumper back to the TARDIS.”

“Never mind. I’ll get it later,” he replied clearly distracted.

Whatever had sidetracked him Rose interrupted, “Doctor, there’s also the coordinates to Gallifrey you found on the hopper key chain. I suppose it kinda supports your theory but what I don’t get is why someone would give you that signal but then stay hidden.”

“Very good Rose!” the Doctor praised, “I think I may have misinterpreted that signal. I thought it was a trap but had we gone to that hopper maybe we would have met the Gallifreyan. Since we didn’t, maybe we are the cause of the Gallifreyan’s reluctance to show their hand.”

“Well, it’s clear there’s still a mystery here to solve and it’s not gonna be solved tonight. I’m gonna go make some banana bread before we call it a night. We’re gonna need it tomorrow.”

“We always need banana bread Rose but it sounds like you’re thinking of a particular reason?” 

“Yeah there is. Can you imagine Handy when we break the news to him that someone found his key and got in the TARDIS? He’s gonna need banana bread!”

“Blimey hadn’t even thought of that,” the Doctor said. “He doesn’t know how to put things in perspective because his experiences have pretty much all been rubbish. It’s a process Rose but he’ll learn that life can be wonderful.” 

As Rose stood to leave the Doctor turned to her, his eyes searching hers. “Rose, I still need to give you my oath and my true name.”

“I want that Doctor more than anything. I won’t be long. I promise.”

Deep within the TARDIS the intruder stood listening at an older console from an earlier Doctor. Possessing the Doctor’s true name would give the intruder power over the Time Lord.


	23. Chapter 23

Alright then,” the Doctor declared, clapping his hands, “while you make your brilliant banana bread, I’m going to the library. I think the lads are watching Lion King and they might have questions.”

“What possible interest could they have in a cartoon movie from Earth?” Rose laughed. “They’re not just being polite cuz you recommended it, are they?”

“Rose! I only showed them the disc cover and even if they don’t like cartoons there’s the songs! Who doesn’t love the songs? Besides,” he said with a shrug, “they suggested it. I don’t think either of them have ever seen telly! They’re quite fascinated with videos and frankly what better choice. I offered something from their planet but they wanted to see something from your home world Rose.”

Rose looked decidedly skeptical. “Doctor,” she reasoned, “ya musta noticed how they hang on your every word. Gawd, imagine what they’ll conclude about Earth from the Lion King! But my point is we gotta be careful we don’t unduly influence their thinking ‘bout what they wanna do. Just sayin’ they deserve a chance to pick their own path.”

Looking at her fondly the Doctor nodded. “You’re right Rose and I’ll be careful. I can be overly enthusiastic sometimes.”

“I luv that about you Doctor but our lads have never been free to chose before. Anyhow I’ll meet ya there when I’m done.”

Before she turned to leave, the Doctor stepped in front of her. Tenderly he brushed her hair over her shoulder as he took her in. “Rose, yesterday was my last day alone. You are here,” he whispered, pointing at his temples, “humming in my mind and I can scarcely believe how happy you have made me. You are amazing Rose Tyler and I am so lucky you are mine.”

Rose’s face softened and she threw her arms around him. “I love you Doctor and I always will.” 

They stood swaying together until the Doctor released her with a smile. “We don’t need to let the banana bread sit til morning do we Rose? We can break the rules and have some with the lads. A little banana bread and Lion King, I mean it’s a combination that’s hard to beat,” he cajoled with a crooked smile.

“Oh alright, guess there’s worse things than banana bread with melty chocolate bits,” she acquiesced.

“That’s the spirit! And before I go to the library I thought I’d frame the picture Handy made so we’ll all be there for the official unveiling,”

“That’s a brilliant idea Doctor!” Rose grinned. “Handy’s gonna luv it.”

When the Doctor hung the picture over the fireplace Rose had to admit it was impressive. Somehow he’d managed to protect and strengthen the flimsy paper so it couldn’t deteriorate. He had a good eye and Rose was impressed with the surround and frame he’d chosen. 

Overall Handy’s art had presence and an ethereal quality. There was no denying the the work was arresting in it’s depiction of two people who belonged together. But what Rose liked best was the smile on Handy’s face, something that had been all too uncommon but was changing for the better now that he was safe. She saw Travin watching Handy and knew he was proud of his friend.

Drinking their tea and eating the banana bread the Doctor raised a first discussion about what came next for the duo. He told them they were welcome to stay as long as they needed but also promised he and Rose would help them prepare for whatever they wanted to do. Travin wanted to go to a peaceful planet, maybe the one he was born on and he’d get a job so Handy could do his pictures and hopefully sell a few and together they’d get by. 

The Doctor intended to research Travin’s planet and speak to him later. He wanted to discuss his skills and options with him, determined to help him succeed too. Wanting to respect what Rose had said about the golden rule, he decided to buy them a house, complete with an art studio, and fund them until they got on their feet. While this was not something he normally did, he was eager to salvage what he hoped would be a good life from their destitute circumstances.

But he wanted to be with Rose now so he kept his intentions to himself and brought their first discussion about the future to a close. “Alright you lot, I’ve got an offer to make and I want you to think it over and when you’re ready, let me know what you decide.” 

Seeing he had their attention he continued, “Handy, I happen to know some art dealers and I’m confident they’d be interested in selling your work to high paying customers. My suggestion would be for you to do some paintings while you’re here. There’s lots of places here on board, like my gardens, the observatory, maybe even the grotto, that you could use for inspiration. Once you have a small collection ready, and if you agree, we could get their reactions to your paintings. If they’re interested they may even want to sign a few contracts.”

Watching their two passengers Rose could see their astonishment at the Doctor’s generosity and kindness to them. She thought Travin was actually fighting tears. Rose was so proud of the Doctor because he’d been careful to leave the decision to them, to give them time to think his offer over and made suggestions that might help. She found herself very happy they could help these two.

Finally he and Rose were alone together. But this time it was the Doctor who was trying to control his attraction to her, at least until he’d made his oath to her but Rose was rapidly stripping off her clothes.

“Rose, come here,” he whispered. Her eyes met his and he saw the fire there and swallowed hard determined to keep a grip on his hunger until he made his promise to her. She’d thrown her hoodie and bra in the corner and gotten as far as unbuttoning her jeans and toeing off her trainers but she stilled, understanding the importance of the moment. 

He needed to slow down but at this moment, seeing her toned beauty, the Doctor was unable to stop the impulse to rip open his own shirt. There was no cooling his need to feel her warm, firm breasts against his bare chest. When she embraced him he groaned at the pleasure of flesh against flesh.

Running his hands up her bare back he rumbled his pleasure at the sensation of touching her. His nostrils flared taking in her glorious scent. Overcome by the feel of her silky hair as she nuzzled into his body and her soft lips as they kissed his chest, he shook his head trying to clear his senses so he could say his words to her.

“Rose,” he panted, drawing out her name, “no matter the distance between us in time and space, my attraction to you will remain constant. You could be at the end of the universe and I will always be drawn toward you. There is something about you and I that matches, each half drawn to the other so fully that a life separated would be meaningless. Only you, only your eyes, your face, your body and your mind will be what I seek. Know that my attraction to you runs deep to my core. I don't do superficial. I never did.”

Pausing to nuzzle into her neck and run his hands over her denim clad bottom he pulled her against his hardness groaning at the sensation of her body against his. 

“I trust you with my life Rose, and my hearts. So always bring your brown eyes home to me and let me run my hands over your golden skin. Let me be the only one to fill your heart, your mind and your body for I am never more calm, more whole, or more healthy than when you are with me.”

Rising on her tiptoes she kissed his neck and suckled his earlobe thrilling when she felt him shudder. 

“Beautiful words, Doctor and I loved them,” she whispered in his ear. Rose knew he’d thought about them and that they were his oath to her. And he was right. There was nothing superficial about his words. Rose knew this moment defined the rest of her life and she felt it would also inspire her to be the best she could be for him.

“Your oath to me I will always remember and give the same back to you. See, I don’t have fancy words like that Doctor but I will love you forever and I will never abandon you, always find you when you are lost and I will rescue you when you are in trouble. No one else will ever replace you in my heart.”

The Doctor lifted her up under her bum which coincidentally placed her lovely breasts close to his mouth and declared, “Rose your words are precious to me and I will remember your oath to me with perfect clarity forever!” 

He twirled her around joyously and her laughter filled his hearts until he threw her on the bed and tugged off her jeans reaching for her knickers.

“Don’t you dare rip off another pair of my knickers Mister!”

“Awww, why not Rose...it’s like opening a Christmas present!” the Doctor whined.

“Cuz am runnin’ out of knickers ya plum!”

“We’ll get more Rose. I’ll help you because I like the kind that make a good ripping sound. We’ll need hundreds, for now at least!”

Rose lifted up on her elbows giggling, “You’re daft, Time Lord!”

“Oh yes!” he agreed, “but I’m your daft Time Lord,” he snickered as he threw off his suit jacket, lowered his zipper and pulled himself from his trousers.

No smart remarks occurred to Rose as her pupils dilated and she watched his thick length jut proudly from his trousers, bobbing and twitching enthusiastically. Her hands and mouth were on him almost as fast as he could move and his groan of pleasure made her wet. 

His head fell back and his eyes turned black as his senses absorbed the sucking, wet heat of her mouth and her pumping hand bringing him ever closer to to an explosive release. He struggled to control his hips and the instinct to drive deep until he pulled her off him.

As he gasped for air, he let his trousers drop to the floor, and ripped off his shirt. In all his male beauty he stood before her, his erection straining and wet from her mouth, his lean musculature pumped and defined as he readied to claim her.

“Not this time Rose. I need to give you my true name at the moment of our climax while I’m in your mind.” 

Rose thought she could cum just by watching him. He was so gorgeous. She took him in with her heated gaze and nodded, turning and crawling up the bed making sure he saw her bottom tilted up in invitation.

He crawled onto the bed, his voice rumbling with eagerness, pursuing his lover and seeking completion with his final devotion, the passing of his true name and the last seal on their bond.

Neither noticed the shimmer casually tossed on the bedside table along with a muddle of Rose’s earrings, rings and bracelets. It glowed as it activated.


	24. Chapter 24

“Rooose,” he singsonged as he crawled up the bed towards her. “You’re mine now. You must submit to me.”

“Oi,” she answered matching his playful tone, “in your dreams Time Lord. This is my play,” she teased, wiggling her bum provocatively as she spread her knees on the bed, clasped the headboard and turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

She saw his eyes fixed on her bottom, a tantalizing view with her exposed lady bits.

“How do you know I haven’t nudged your choice over our bond? I have powers Rose,” he purred. “I can assure you this is exactly what I want?” 

Rose loved when his voice dropped and sounded like a rolling growl. She felt his body moving into position behind her and felt his hands sweep around her bum and up her torso and from there up to her breasts and nipples. His hips were behind her and she felt his length brushing against her inner thigh. The minute his fingers touched her puckered, erect nipples, his erection nudged up against her labia.“

Panting Rose groaned, “This is what I want....you didn’t influence me or make me,” she sighed, sucking in a breathe when he used his length to part her labia and caress her bud with the swollen head of his cock. 

“You don’t sound so sure of that Rose Tyler,” he rumbled, substituting a wet finger on the exact spot where she wanted it and Rose gasped.

He saw her knuckles turn white where her hands clutched the headboard and felt her hips pressing forward against the tip of his finger.

“Cat got your tongue Rose?” he whispered and she knew if she turned to see him there would be a blatant smirk on his face.

Her voice broke as his twirling finger applied just a bit more pressure and his cock twitched at her entrance.

“Who cares Doctor?” she gasped. “Just get on with it,” she ordered with a strangled squeak.

“What’s your hurry Rose?” he reasoned, enjoying his tease. “We do have all night after all,” he whispered, this time in her mind.

“I’m gonna kill ya Doctor,” she groaned trying to seat herself on his length but he knew what she was planning and backed away ever so slightly but he knew his hold on control was fragile.

“Now, now Rose that’s no way to talk to your bond mate is it?”

Rose was too new to telepathy to know the Doctor was fighting his own powerful urge to sheath himself in her velvet heat and feel her grip on him. He had to slow down if he was to control the timing of his declaration while they were both in climax. 

Fed up with waiting Rose tried to release her hands from the headboard so she could be in control but again he anticipated her move and tightened his hold on her hands and held them fast.

“Behave Rose or I might need to punish you.” He bit the back of her neck. “I’m controlling this play and I’d hate to spank you for not obeying me. And don’t pretend to fight me...I can smell the spike in your arousal,” he chuckled.

“Look ya git,” a frustrated Rose snarled, “you better let me go!”

“Or what Rose?” 

Rose learned fast. She filled her mind with erotic images of what she intended to do to him and the assault of pleasure slackened his hold on her hands so she yanked them free, slid under him and flipped over using her strong legs to pulled him down to perfectly angled hips. He was so hard and she was so wet their union produced a squelching wet noise as his length filled her to his sensual growl and immediate withdrawal as he slammed back into her so hard her head hit the headboard. Deep inside her he panted struggling not to thrust again. 

This time she obeyed him because she felt what he felt and knew how close he was. Her single heart pounded at the same speed as his two and she knew his fight for control was for their sake, to ensure their joint climax so he could share his true name with her. It was the final seal on their bond. He’d told her it guaranteed no one, no power could undo their bond once his name was given to her during climax. 

She wanted their bond to be unbreakable. It was all or nothing as far as he was concerned and she couldn’t agree more. To calm him she ran her hands up his back soothing him. He was still twitching inside her so she was careful not to move her hips or legs. She saw his strained face and gently pushed his hair off his forehead. Gradually his breathing began to slow.

Smiling up at him, her eyes soft, she whispered, “You are so beautiful. I love you and I always will.”

“You’re the beauty here Rose and if that’s not enough you’re obviously a bronze medal winning gymnast. Not many get the slip on me!”

“Ya best remember it too Time Lord. I got skills,” Rose teased.

Lowering his torso, still inside her, he held them together as he rolled them onto their sides so they could recover briefly and she would not have to bear his weight.

“Games are fun during sex. Don’t you think Rose?” 

“I do, especially when it seems real. Ya know, like gettin’ into character.”

“I’ll always want to have lots of sex with you Rose. Are you okay with that?”

“I’m okay with that,” Rose giggled, “More than okay really but is this some kind of questionnaire before ya tie the final knot.”

“Nah, I just want to be sure I don’t do something you don’t like or worse still, not notice something you really do want.”

Smiling, Rose snuggled into him amazed he was still firmly hard inside her. “I reckon we’re gonna be good together Doctor. I mean we look out for each other so why wouldn’t we when it comes to sex? Besides we have a mind connection too. We’re gonna know if somethin’s wrong yeah? And I got at least 15 fantasies about you.”

“I have 345 firm ones about you and another 200 I’m working on.”

“Blimey,” Rose giggled, “we’re gonna be busy Doctor!”

“Oh yes!” he declared, “I’m going to love every minute with you Rose Tyler and not just the sex. You’re the only one for me.”

Rose was still wrapped around him and still aroused. She tried not to clench around him but every now and then it happened involuntarily. He moved closer to her face and lips wanting her to take in his scent. He kissed her deeply and she was lost in him once more. Caressing her cheek he began kissing her face all over and she felt him moving inside her but she could see he wasn’t actually moving yet she felt his iron length with each thrust.

“Just go with it Rose, just float and let the sensation capture you. This is mind controlled Time Lord sex....no less real but easier to control. I need to control our progress to climax so we do so together.”

“Go on then Doctor. I never been mind fucked before...always something new with you and I luv it!”

Soon they were lost in the mindscape he wove and they’re bodies were moving together too. For Rose the Doctor was deep inside but also stimulating her with a wet flicking tongue. He varied the pressure and speed to ensure a controlled pace to climax. Rose was totally blissed out. In her mind’s eye she was sprawled wantonly with his tongue giving her such acute pleasure she was holding her breath while, at the same time, enjoying his engorged length pounding into her. 

It was impossible but she could feel it and her brain said it was real so she decided to see if she could join him creating the mindscape. She imagined him in her mouth and felt his pulse start to race and heard his strangled groan as she sucked and fondled him.

It was bonkers but she was delirious and bathed in pleasure like some kind of addict. But the Doctor sucked in a breath in the real world and told her to stop or he’d cum too early. Obeying him she was content to ride the tidal wave carrying her rapidly towards an explosive release. Her heart was pounding, her muscles tightening. 

Distantly she sensed his fear and alarm knocking at the door of her consciousness. She struggled to figure out why he was afraid. Couldn’t they just try again if they were out of sync?

She heard him cry out and knew something was really wrong so she used her mind to douse them in a bucket of cold water. The shock worked and she was suddenly aware something was terribly wrong with him. Disengaging she rolled him on his back, scrambled up beside him and smacked his face where she saw pain, his jaw clamped close.

“Doctor,” she cried, “what’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong!”

“Someone...else is here,” he groaned. Rose knew his jaws were clamped shut in the effort to fight some kind of mental onslaught!

“My name,” the Doctor grit out, “trying to steal my name...help me Rose!”

Seeing his face she knew his struggle was monumental. She had to think of something! He had to climax with her to give his name and she could see how aroused he was so she reached quickly for the bedside table light so she could see clearly to manipulate his bits so he’d lose his erection. It was painful so she didn’t want to over do it. Shareen had told her how to do it if the bloke was going to pop too soon.

It was then she noticed the glowing shimmer on the bedside table. Could it be related? Knowing it was too much of a coincidence she made a fist and smashed it on instinct. She heard the Doctor sigh and saw him relax, sprawled on the bed.

“That bitch!” Rose whispered.


	25. Chapter 25

Rose scooted back on the bed to verify he was okay. She straddled his waist staring down at him. He was no longer struggling but did that mean his true name was safe or had it been stolen? 

With his eyes closed, his face relaxed and peaceful, he looked so young. It wasn’t until his eyes opened that they betrayed the ancient wisdom within. As Rose studied him she had to admit what comfort those eyes gave her. They did indeed make his youthful strength look out of place but there was nothing more comforting than that knowledge and wisdom when things went bad. She was startled out of her musings when his eyes flickered open.

“Were you and Grace lovers in a past regeneration?” she asked although there was a bit of demand in her voice.

“Whaa?” he murmured understandably confused.

Struggling to get his bearings he looked up at her. “Whoever invaded my mind almost discovered my true name and with it they could control me.” He shivered. “What did you do to stop it Rose?”

“I musta thrown that shimmer from Grace on the bedside table and when I reached to turn the light on I saw it glowing and smashed it with my fist and then I saw you relax.”

“Thank Rassilon you did, Rose. You have no idea how close I came to ....well, let’s just say, to losing myself.”

“So did you have legovers with Grace in an earlier regeneration?”

His face betrayed his confusion but he could see she was serious. “Rose, what are you talking about? I don’t even know her. Why would you think that?”

“Because it seems like a jealous move yeah? Bugging us and then makin’ a move to get your real name as we got close to cumin’. Like stealing it from a rival.”

“Come on Rose! That’s a hell of a stretch you have to admit. Besides, here I am suffering from coitus interruptus and my bond mate is sitting on me, naked, accusing me of having had relations with someone, some time in the last 900 years. Even if I had, why would it matter to you?”

She stared at him and then left her jealousy at the door. “Yeah, guess you gotta a point,” she admitted. “But I think my point about this being jealousy from someone you knew isn’t bonkers either.”

The Doctor raised his eyebrow clearly not in agreement but then Rose saw when inspiration struck him. “What Doctor?”

He looked up at her. “I definitely do not know who Grace is so if she told you she knew a Doctor who saved her family, it wasn’t any regeneration of me or what she presented to you as her true face was false, maybe just another shimmer.”

“Yeah, I suppose that could be....and if ya think about it she seemed to imply she was from Earth but....,” Rose offered, thinking it through, “how could someone from Earth have shimmer technology let alone ‘Time Lord true-name snatchin’ technology’?”

“Precisely,” the Doctor declared, moving Rose off his body, jumping up, grabbing his clothes and rapidly redressing, “and there’s another implication if our supposition about her is correct...”

Rose interrupted, “She could be Gallifreyan!”

“Right again Rose Tyler!” he declared. “Come on Rose, get dressed.”

“So we’re not doing the name thing?”

“Not now but soon I hope. Besides the mood’s been buggered! We have to deal with this now. Chop chop Rose! Meet me in the console room.” 

Then he was out the door and gone as Rose scrambled to get dressed. “Bloody git!” Rose groused, “not like I didn’t want ta sort this hours ago. But oh no, he didn’t want to then. He wanted a legover and we didn’t even get that...always runnin’ daft alien...”

“I can hear you Rose,” he whispered in her mind. “Is that any way to talk to your bond mate? I might have to spank you after all!”

“Trust me,” she snapped back, “ya wouldn’t want to take that risk right now Time Lord!”

“That’s when it’s most fun. What were your words...ahh yes..‘you like games, especially when it seems real’,” she could hear the swagger in his words and it just inflamed her further.

“Shut it will ya!” But she couldn’t help smiling just a bit and the Doctor knew it.

She pounded down the corridor to his delighted laughter as she buttoned her jeans and tried to put some order in her wild mane of sex tossed curls.

Upon arrival, the Doctor swung around to face her. “It’s about time. If you are to be the mate of a Time Lord...stepping up your game is essential.”

“Oi, you itchin’ for a slap Mister?” Rose demanded.

The Doctor paused looking her over. “You’re not going to become your mother are you?” Rose saw him visibly shudder.

Ignoring his question Rose asked, “So we any closer to figuring out where the stowaway is?”

“No, but I’ve reconsidered who it might be. See, for the old girl not to tell me who and where is pretty unusual. I don’t think she would do that for any old Gallifreyan. It would have to be someone important.”

“Maybe a member of high society or a politician maybe,” Rose speculated. “Coulda been someone who was off planet when it all happened and someone who didn’t age.”

She could see the Doctor was running through his assumptions so she chucked another idea into the mix. “I was thinking Doctor, instead of trying to think who the stowaway is maybe we should focus on where they might go in the TARDIS. If someone important from Gallifrey came on board where might they want to go to accomplish their goals.”

“Good question Rose. We know they wanted to steal my name with that shimmer.”

“So maybe that shimmer was much more than a shimmer. It musta been a listening device so it’s operator would know when your name was ripe for the picking.”

A deep blush colored her face sparking the Doctor’s amusement. 

“No need to be embarrassed we were monitored on our climb to climax Rose. We did nothing wrong. We made love. Our stowaway invaded our privacy for nefarious reasons.”

“Doesn’t make it any less embarrassing, Doctor!”

“Nonsense Rose, we achieved the pinnacle of passion, the depths of desire and we rode the edge of ecstasy! Nothing embarrassing about that” the Doctor declared, looking up at her. “You heard what I did there Rose?”

“Yes Doctor, lovely alliteration,” Rose agreed rolling her eyes. Before she met the Doctor she didn’t have a clue what alliteration was and now she knew the Doctor loved practicing it.

“Alright then, back to the matter at hand,” the Doctor declared, “Let’s be sure we continue to speak telepathically shall we?. There’s is another possibility Rose. Our mystery Gallifreyan might have been listening to us with the shimmer or from the beginning with the ship wide microphones!” 

“But Doctor wouldn’t you know that from looking at the console?”

“Yes, and ship wide listening surveillance has not been activated at this console,” he answered in her mind.

“Whatcha mean, ‘this console’?” Rose asked.

“My previous regenerations sometimes preferred different console designs but they still exist. I might be wrong but it does make sense the stowaway would want to access the console, even if they don’t have the ability to fly the ship.”

“You bet it does,” Rose agreed. “And if you’re right, good thing we can talk over our bond so we’re not givin’ away our next move.”

“Isn’t it amazing Rose. Already we have a use for this new ability from our bond. Nothing can mar that pleasure for me Rose.”

Rose smiled at him. “Me too Doctor!”

“Alright, come on Rose, we’re going deep into the TARDIS to my old consoles.”


	26. Chapter 26

Before heading for the old consoles, they stopped to examine the smashed shimmer in Rose’s room. The Doctor wanted to know if the shimmer was also a transmitter. Although broken, he did find a part that seemed like a transmitter but of a type he’d never seen before.

Even if it was a transmitter, it didn’t mean their stowaway wasn’t also listening to all of them from an older console. That meant he and Rose had to be careful how they communicated with Handy and Travin because a previous console remained the most likely location for an eavesdropping Gallifreyan stowaway.

Looking at the bits of the shimmer on Rose’s bedside table he used their bond to explain what he was up to. “Rose, there is a transmitter here.” He whipped out his sonic and his glasses, which always made Rose swoon. “It’s broken in half but with any luck I might find out where the last transmission was sent.” 

She could see his intense concentration and satisfied herself with studying his handsome features in his lady killer glasses, an image that always made her heart beat faster. 

Suddenly he looked over at her and she saw his nostrils flare, seeking her scent. “Rose, please not now. We can’t get distracted.”

“Your fault Time Lord,” Rose giggled. “You put on the glasses and besides,” she reasoned, “don’t ya wanna know when I fancy ya?”

“We’re bonded Rose. We always fancy each other but when you’re thinking about me that way it’s a trigger for me to tend to your needs.”

Rose’s eyebrows arched as the implications sunk in. “Wow, so whenever I call for you to satisfy my needs you’ll come to me?”

“Yes,” he confirmed.

Rose happy danced in a circle and despite the Doctor’s sense of urgency he was highly amused. Rose Tyler was the best bond mate he could imagine.

“Come on,” he said, “Hmmm, it’s difficult to decipher where, specifically, the last transmission went but the general direction matches the location of older consoles. Our stowaway will be in one of them.”

Still studying the two pieces he was curious and couldn’t help but feel there was more going on with it than met the eye so he slipped it in his pocket resolved to study it further at the first opportunity.

“So, no sex before hand?” Rose wheedled.

“Nope! I know you Rose Tyler. We’ll have sex, then you’ll want a shower, then I’ll join you, then we’ll have more sex and then hours will have passed. Neither of us are quickie kind of people! Come on!”

“But I like quickies sometimes,” Rose protested.

He grabbed her hand and soon he was leading her down the corridor to the library where he knew he would find Travin and Handy.

On the way to the library Rose could sense the bubbling caldron of curiosity and intellect the Doctor was harnessing to solve the mystery they were facing. He felt no fear, especially when his curiosity was piqued and his intellect was triggered, but thankfully he was no fool. Rose wasn’t worried he might underestimate the danger this ‘Gallifreyan’ could present. If he was responsible for others he would be on high alert for their safety. She was most worried when he was alone.

As they approached the library and despite the circumstances the Doctor was elated. Rose’s hand was in his and he had a mystery to solve? No that wasn’t right. They had a mystery to solve. Rose was very good at solving mysteries. They were a couple now and he had to start thinking of them that way. 

If that wasn’t enough, his acute hearing picked up Handy and Travin in the library talking about their future, reminding him how much he enjoyed their character and their company. Adding to his buoyancy was the chance he would be reunited with someone from his planet. Maybe this person was behaving badly because they expected to be treated badly by a Time Lord. He knew it was a long shot but he was in the mood to be hopeful.

On the way into the library the Doctor grabbed a notepad from his desk and scribbled a note for Travin. As usual when the Doctor entered a room they were in, the two of them jumped up ready to do whatever he proposed. Instantly the Doctor put his finger over his lips signaling the need for silence. Knowing Travin could read he handed his note to him. While he read it the Doctor placed his fingers on Handy’s temple asking with his eyes if he could enter his mind. Handy, having already experienced telepathy with the Doctor, had no fear of it and nodded his agreement. 

Telepathically connected to Handy, the Doctor used his connection with Rose, who placed her fingers to Travin’s temple, as his conduit to him. Fortunately Handy took the news in stride and Rose knew it was because the Doctor didn’t blame him for losing the TARDIS key. Soon they were all in the loop and on the same page, aware of the need to use caution when speaking openly. 

Travin’s reaction was not unlike Rose’s. He felt the intruder was up to no good and made the case to break into two teams to find the intruder. He suggested Rose go with him and Handy go with the Doctor, especially because Rose and the Doctor could telepathically communicate when separated. 

The Doctor was reluctant to be separated from Rose but naturally she agreed with Travin. He rarely won these arguments with her and because he now knew he should have been on this earlier, when Rose first urged him, he acquiesced despite his better judgement. The merry band left the library headed for the depths of the TARDIS and the Doctor’s reluctance was only slightly mitigated by the sight of Handy walking without a limp and without pain. He’d fixed his bones.

Handy seemed to have a new confidence. The Doctor noticed he walked tall and like Travin, he was on high alert. Although Travin was older, he had street smarts. He knew how things worked in the seedier corners of the universe. 

The Doctor remembered his surprise to learn Travin had trained as a tailor in his father’s shop until their shop had been destroyed in some sort of raid. Alone and having to survive he took work here and there, surviving hand to mouth, until he finally ended up on a trading ship that paid reasonably well for a Jack-of-all-trades job. Only later did he learn the ship was owned by slavers not keen to have him rat them out to authorities. Under their constant surveillance he found himself stuck.

The best thing about Travin’s story was his desire to be a tailor again, like his Dad. Now they had the beginning of a future for the lads. Now all they needed was a suitable planet.

Despite his planning for the lads’ future, he was also unerringly focused on finding the intruder as he led them deeper into the TARDIS. Along the way the lads were amazed by the bizarre sights they passed but they didn’t ask questions and stayed focused despite their wonder at the size of the Doctor’s ship.

Then the Doctor slowed where two very large semi circles could be seen on each side of the corridor. Each semi circle contained three equidistant corridors branching off the semicircle. The old consoles were found here, one down each corridor.

Signaling them to move closer so they could reconnect telepathically, he informed them where each console would be found. Each team would begin with the left corridor and Rose would communicate with him when she and Handy moved to the next and he would do the same. Each console room was open, no door requiring a key, so they had to approach quietly listening carefully. At any sound, they were to hold firm and alert the other team and wait for their arrival. 

As they parted and headed to their respective corridors the Doctor knew Rose was on high alert. Their connection told him she considered herself responsible for Travin’s safety. She was worried that Travin’s first taste of liberty not be snatched from him before he got the chance to live it. It was so like Rose the Doctor thought. He could tell she didn’t know Travin would give his life to protect her. Travin knew the Doctor would look out for Handy. It gave the Doctor scant comfort.

Rose and Travin crept forward quietly but they heard nothing as they approached the first console. Ever so gradually Rose peaked around a coral strut into a strangely stripped down console. It didn’t have all the strange bits and bobs her TARDIS had although it definitely looked other worldly and quite....white and antiseptic.

“Doctor,” she whispered in his mind as though she might be overheard, “nothing at the first console. Heading to the next corridor.”

Rose heard him, confused, asking out loud, “Who are you?”

Then nothing. Their connection was broken.

“Travin, follow me! The Doctor is in trouble!”


	27. Chapter 27

Rose knew something was wrong. She couldn’t sense the Doctor in her mind. They were bonded and sensing each other was part of the deal. It came with the bond. She struggled to control her terror that he might be regenerating. She wished with all her heart she had been given his true name. He’d wake up if she called him by his real name, wouldn’t he? He’d answer her and tell her he was okay.

Travin struggled to keep up to Rose. He was supposed to protect her yet she was already half way down the corridor even though she was using a strange gait to move silently, probably something the Doctor had taught her. Some protector he turned out to be.

As she got closer to the coral strut that marked the entrance to the older console, she slowed to ensure she didn’t betray her presence. She turned to Travin signaling him not to make any sound. Ever so slowly she peeked around the strut to look inside. 

Her heart leapt in her throat seeing Handy on the floor on the far side of the console but, on closer inspection, she saw he was breathing. Seeking the Doctor she spied him just within her field of view on the near side of the console room floor. He must be alive! He would have regenerated if he’d started to die. Leaning as far forward as she dared she saw a woman bending over him with a shimmer in her hand moving it around the Doctor’s head!

Stepping into the room she meant business and her stance made that clear. 

“If you don’t get away from him bitch, you’re gonna learn how a Londoner kicks ass!” 

“Do you have his name?” the woman demanded, shifting to aim the shimmer at Rose. 

Clutching her temples at the sudden pain she worried what the Doctor was enduring if this intruder was trying to extract his name. The pain she was feeling was severe so how much worse had it been to incapacitate him. For her it had only been seconds and at this strength Rose knew she could handle it for a bit longer if only to protect the Doctor from it.

“I tried to warn you witch,” Rose barked. 

Hearing his bond mates’ voice, the Doctor’s eyes flickered open into painful slits. As he zeroed in on her voice they widened in astonishment as Rose suddenly pinwheeled across the console room floor catching the stowaway’s hand with one foot, sending the shimmer flying, and slamming her against the wall from the acceleration force of her cartwheel. Travin leapt from his spot near the entrance and caught the shimmer, quickly stomping it to small pieces and then scuttling over to Handy.

The stowaway was more than a little dazed but Rose was rip snorting mad, clenching the weird robe she was wearing into a tight knot at her throat.

With gritted teeth she snarled, “If you don’t hand over every piece of tech you’re packin’, I’m gonna strip search ya and that includes full cavity search!”

“Unlikely,” the stranger declared, violently wrenching her shoulders driving her hands up through Rose’s arms and shoving her backwards with explosive force so hard Rose’s head hit the console with a sickening crack. She rolled off onto the floor silent.

Travin rushed round under the console and pulled Rose away from the stranger. He laid her down gently feeling for damage around her head. His hands were covered in blood and he knew the situation was deadly serious. 

Desperate to get to Rose, the Doctor struggled to roll over and crawl to her. Gritting his teeth with the effort of maintaining his shield in the face of the stranger’s assault he dared not connect with Rose to assess her injuries. If he couldn’t withstand the assault, Rose’s mind would experience the attack too. If the intruder thought Rose had his true name she might attack her directly and that would destroy her mind!

He was struggling to get to her and just when he realized his action was futile, he felt Travin grab his hands intending to pull him to Rose. But it was too late. The stranger had moved the other way around the console and was dragging Rose out in the open. Opening their bond for the briefest of moments, desperate to know her condition, he howled when he realized she would die without immediate treatment.

The stranger’s attention to Rose had been a ruse. She knew the Doctor would open his bond and the second he did she pressed her attack. The Doctor howled struggling to slam his shields closed but the instrument she was using might as well be a proverbial foot in the door preventing it from closing.

“Give me your name!” she screamed.

Behind the stranger Handy struggled to his feet and threw himself at her knocking her down then Travin threw himself spreadeagled on top of her. But she was powerful and knocked them aside with a strength someone her size should not possess. Unimpeded she pressed her attack on the Doctor.

Why, why did he always have to face these choices? It wasn’t fair! Rose was dying! He had to save her. The price of saving her was his true name and his freedom. He’d give his freedom to save her. That was not the issue. But his abilities at the control of someone with ill intent would be disastrous. How could he choose?   
It would be so easy to give in, anything for an end to the pain. One last chance to save Rose, to see her face. He didn’t know how long he could hold out.

Rose floated in a grey world of nothing. No light, no sight, just grey, so she figured she might be dying. Her head hurt and that was strangely comforting. If she could feel, she was still alive. Then she heard the Doctor cry out in pain. She had to do something!

I’m not dead yet she cried although no one heard her. So she called to the TARDIS. 

“HELP ME!,” she called. “I have to help him. He’s your pilot and I love him. PLEASE!”

The TARDIS heard her and reached out to talk to the tiny, tiny speck of the vortex within Rose. Rose didn’t sense the living ship answer her so she kept pleading with increasing despair. Her anxiety was close to overwhelming her.

“Calm yourself!” the TARDIS commanded. “Be still and gather your power. He needs you.”

Okay, Rose thought. I heard that and it didn’t seem like a pre-death hallucination. Was it her imagination or did her toes feel warm? Suddenly she felt a whoosh of warmth, and what she thought was light, light that tingled up her body and everything it touched seemed stronger, no it felt bloody powerful! Then it hit her head and she knew her head had been broken, cracked like a watermelon, but now was healed. She knew things she shouldn’t. Things about time and space and him.

The light and warmth she’d felt was morphing into a barely controlled inferno and Rose thought she was turning into a conduit for the colossal power now raging through her. How could she use it to save her bond mate? If it was the last thing she did, she would wield this whirlwind to protect him.

Handy and Travin were under the console surround trying to pull the Doctor away from the enemy when Travin tugged Handy’s sleeve directing him to Rose. They were afraid as Rose’s body glowed and her body stiffened into something approximating rigour mortis. As power flooded into her, Rose felt she was trying to control a hurricane. She heard the Doctor cry out and she exploded upwards barely avoiding slamming into the ceiling.

Their adversary could not help but look up in astonishment and that was enough to break her hold on the Doctor. Handy and Travin sprung into action dragging the Doctor away from his attacker. They stood together in front of the prone Doctor more than willing to defend him. Their vigilance was focused on the intruder and not the strange phenomenon transpiring above their heads. They would protect the Doctor with their lives.

Although Rose was only dimly aware of what her body was doing she knew a separate entity was operating through her but she knew she could influence it. In fact she thought she had seen all of time and space and created the entity at a time of great trouble and that the TARDIS had helped her. She remembered naming it Bad Wolf.

With the stranger’s attention riveted on a levitating Rose, the Doctor breathed out in relief as he recovered from the pain and opened his eyes. Astonished at the sight of Rose hovering at the apex of the console room ceiling he wondered what new hell they were facing. He struggled to his feet only to witness another wonder.

Rose, or whatever entity was inhabiting her, sent tendrils of energy towards the intruder. He saw several devices rip through the clothes of the enemy and fly into her hands. Then he saw the enemy slammed forcefully against a panel of rondelles where metal straps emerged clamping around her, holding her fast. 

Into the roar of power surrounding them all, the stranger screamed, “I’m trying to preserve the Doctor’s time line. You must not stop me!”

“I see all of time and space. I am the Bad Wolf and time obeyed me. You seek to preserve the time line of total destruction. It will not stand.”

Wondering what the hell had happened while he was out of it, he knew he couldn’t get close to Rose at least not yet. He suspected it was the vortex roaring through her and he was terrified what it would do to Rose but for the moment he had no choice but to direct. his attention to the stowaway. There was something about her speech patterns and mannerisms.

Then he put it together. “What in Rassilon’s name are you doing here?”


	28. Chapter 28

Leave her alone Ohila!,” the Doctor shouted over the maelstrom churning above them. “I’m willing to forgive you for what you did to me but if you’ve hurt my bond mate, you’ve earned a new enemy. You know that is not a good place to be!”

Staring at the Doctor, Ohila didn’t have much choice but to acquiesce to the reality she faced. She was still firmly held, unable to move and in danger of being severely damaged by whatever energy entity was hovering above her. It looked like the Doctor’s so called bond mate but how could that be? She was clearly not a Time Lady. 

She nodded at the Doctor explaining, “I would not have used your true name to harm you.”

He snorted his derision. “It sure didn’t feel that way!”  
Then he looked up. “Rose, you can come down now. I’m okay and I need to make sure you’re okay. Please come down to me,” the Doctor pleaded.

Rose looked down at him her eyes glowing and far away as though she saw all of time and space and he thought it was as likely as not. Her eyes were riveting and in them he saw her spirit and her unconditional love for him. He remembered Rose like this in his ninth form when she’d swallowed the vortex to save him but she’d be dead if she’d done it again. 

He had to figure it out because his telepathic connection with her convinced him she had done something monumental to ensure their future together. Knowing Ohila thought something was wrong with the timeline, and she was no novice, had Rose changed it in a way that was not sustainable? He was afraid of the terrible implications. But there was hope. If a fixed point in time had been aborted the reapers should have appeared by now or the troublesome time lines hadn’t yet been breached and he would have to act before it was too late.

Raising his hand and holding it up towards her he smiled, softly saying, “Hold my hand Rose, please.”

He saw too that the Rose part of the energy was exhausted and struggling to maintain her hold on it.

“Rose, Luv, just let it go. Think of it gradually leaving. I’ll catch you Rose. You won’t fall.” He moved under her, ready to catch her.

Gradually the noise died down, the energy dissipated and Rose slowly drifted down. He was there when her feet touched down and she collapsed into his arms. Holding her tight he ran his hand through her hair searching for the damage he knew was there. He’d heard the sickening crack of her skull against the console.

Blinking in surprise when he found nothing he whispered in her mind, “Clever girl, you used the power to heal yourself. You’re going to be okay Rose. Thank Rassilon for that!” He held her close squeezing his eyes closed in relief and breathing her in.

“Doctor,” she murmured, “what happened to me?”

“Well, that’s the question isn’t it? It’s going to take a bit of research although I have a few theories.”

“‘Kay, well then who is she?” Rose asked, looking over her shoulder with accusation at the stranger the Doctor had called Ohila.

“Ahh, yes. Time for introductions, time to get to the bottom of this!”

Introducing Travin and Handy as friends in his introduction, he warned Ohila he would not tolerate them being harmed in any way. They drew closer chuffed to be introduced as friends important to their hero. 

“This is Ohila, High Priestess of the Sisterhood of Karn,” the Doctor announced. “The Sisters of Karn are dedicated to protecting the Sacred Flame which produces the Elixir of Life.”

“So, not Gallifreyan,” Rose asked?

“Au contraire, my lovely Rose. Long ago a few of the Sisterhood plotted to destroy Rassilon’s foundry. Truth be told, I didn’t really blame them for that until I found out it was just another power play. However, as a result, the whole lot of them were expelled from Gallifrey.”

“No offence Doctor but was everybody on your planet trying to take over?”

“Yep,” the Doctor confirmed, popping the ‘p’, “plotting and scheming was our specialty and it was fuelled by the garbage they fed to everyone about our ‘superiority’,” he noted. 

Just getting started the Doctor continued, “As time went on the politics of jockeying for power grew and fewer and fewer Time Lords ventured out into our universe, opting instead to stay near the action at the political centre of Gallifrey. Can you imagine Rose? No wonder we lost our path and the truth. We never stopped to think of all the beauty and diversity and discoveries out there! Criminal that was, twisting our role as keepers of the time lines into an excuse to decide for others and to lord it over them. We stopped caring, inventing ever more powerful tools to maintain our control.”

Handy and Travin listened with rapt attention finding the Doctor and his life endlessly fascinating. But Rose wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on with this High Priestess so gently she interrupted her bond mate’s tirade.

“So Doctor, how is it you know this Ohila person?” Rose asked deliberately not using her title. As far as Rose was concerned, she didn’t deserve the respect. She tried to hurt the Doctor.

“Right,” the Doctor acknowledged getting back on track. “I think it was during my fourth regeneration, the Sisterhood had a problem. The Sacred Flame was dying so I decided to help. Can you imagine Rose? They assumed I was trying to steal the elixir of life produced by the flame. Why would I do that? Not like I needed a longer life!” 

The Doctor stopped, dramatically putting his hands on each of his hearts, his eyes made sorrowful with unjust accusation. “All I did was get close to the flame because I wanted to fix it!”

“Well,” Rose grinned up at him, “ya can see how that mighta been a problem for them.”

“But Rose they knew me.”

“Exactly,” Rose giggled. “So how’d ya fix it?”

“Threw a little Earth firecracker down the hole where the flame burns. Honestly you can’t imagine the commotion that generated but my solution worked. The flame was getting choked out by centuries of ash and soot. The little firecracker blew it all away. And what did I get for all my efforts?”

“Invitation to leave?” Rose laughed with an amused grin.

“Had to run, I did!” he laughed, swinging her around.

“A little firecracker,” Rose teased, “you sure it wasn’t a stick of dynamite? Ya hav’ta admit explosions are kinda your calling card.”

The Doctor just grinned and led her to a seat. When he turned to Ohila gone was the respectful, affectionate demeanor he displayed with Rose. His dark mood rolled off him seeming out of place in the stark and pristine white of the older console room.

“If you ever expect to return to Karn, you better have a damn good reason for what you have done?”

Not used to being questioned nor denied, Ohila restated her interest, “How could you have bonded with her? She’s not Time Lord.”

The Doctor’s mood darkened and his energy crackled like electricity. When he spoke his voice snapped like a whip.

“That is none of your business! And her name is Rose Tyler and she is brilliant. You will not talk about her as if she isn’t in the room!”

By now Handy and Travin were huddled together near Rose. They’d never heard the Doctor angry before nor understood his power. There was something very special about him.

Considering her reality and the fact she was held prisoner Ohila had no choice but to give in again.

“Doctor, I am meant to offer you sanctuary during your twelve regeneration before you face a great challenge. Obviously I cannot go further in my explanation. The time line changed because of her!” Ohila pointed accusingly at Rose.

“Surely a dalliance with a girl from an ordinary planet is not worth destroying a critical time line.”

“Mind your tongue Ohila! There is nothing ordinary about Rose Tyler. In fact she is extraordinary! You saw the evidence yourself. What, you didn’t think it extraordinary she levitates and uses kinetic energy?”

Ohila could tell she had to tread carefully so she made a statement hoping it might be explained.

“I assumed the glowing, the levitating and the display were a prearranged light show. To what end, I’m not sure although it was an effective distraction. I do remain shackled.”

“For Rassilon’s sake Ohila, we may be overachievers, but that’s a bit much for a distraction, don’t you think?”

“Doctor, it’s immaterial. Your timeline has been changed. Don’t you think that’s alarming?”

She had a point there and he couldn’t see his own timeline but if time had been altered and it affected him, the change probably wasn’t good. 

“Is there anything else you can tell me about the consequences of the time line change?”

Concentrating on hearing Ohila’s answer and studying her body language while she answered he missed the tap at his shoulder.

“All I can tell you Doctor is that many will be lost when you are not there to defeat the enemy.”

Before he could answer he felt a sharp tug on his sleeve. Turning he saw a very worried Handy pointing at Rose.

She was in her chair with fiercely glowing eyes. He heard Ohila gasp, “Blast, not again!”


	29. Chapter 29

It was a credit to Handy and Travin that they didn’t shy away from Rose. They believed in her. From her naming of Handy and their ultimate rescue, the two of them did not believe she would hurt them, even in her altered state. The Doctor, of course, would never abandon her. What he feared more than anything was an altered time line he might have to fix that would take her away from him. 

Stepping in front of her he saw her struggle to control the force barreling through her. He took her hands in his and smiling he said, “What is it Rose? What do you want me to know?”

Her hands were shaking and her body was trembling from stem to stern and when she spoke her voice held power in it’s echo.

“Ohila acts in desperation believing the flame that reveals but one possibility, not the whole truth. Her vision is narrow, a corrupted vestige of a time line only possible if the last Time Lord does not discern the right path.”

Still holding her hands the Doctor feared for Rose. Her strength was being drained by the Bad Wolf energy. And how the hell was he supposed to know how to choose the right path if he couldn’t see his own time line? His mind scrambling, he was silenced when Bad Wolf spoke again.

“This one offered her life for you when she swallowed the vortex, changing time to protect you and create new possibilities, new hope with no damage to that which must be. If you choose the flame this one will be lost to you forever and she will die broken without you. You will suffer mightily then and the future will be sealed with lamentations, Daleks, Cybermen, universal war and the crying of stars extinguished.”

Drawing in breath, Rose struggled to continue, “I am the Bad Wolf created by this one who shunned the power for herself, who saw all of time and rode the vortex to protect you, Time Lord. With her is bright hope, the birth of new Time Lords and time lines restored. Now you must choose for this one gives you free will.”

Rose slumped in her chair and the Doctor caught her before she could tumble to the floor. His hearts propelled him to believe her but his logical mind reminded him it was not Rose making the case. It was some alternate energy speaking through her. He had an obligation to find out more. Once again he was faced with a terrible choice and there was only one person who could help him make it. Rose. 

“Doctor,” Ohila reasoned, “I’m sorry to bring this trouble to you but surely you recognize that was not Rose but some other influence perhaps with it’s own purposes. What are you going to do?”

Still holding Rose, the Doctor answered, “For the moment I’m not making a decision! I’m taking Rose to the infirmary. Then I have some thinking to do.”

Pausing, the Doctor fixed the High Priestess with his penetrating gaze. “Ohila, why did you try to steal my name?”

Ohila knew the truth was called for or he would know and it would color his decision.

“With the help of the Sacred Flame I knew you would be on N.V.A., as you call it. But I didn’t account for the trouble you managed to get in or that my attempt to find you and explain would be thwarted. Forced to follow you around I saw the close connection between you and Rose yet had seen no trace of her in your future time line. I sought to take your name fearing her influence on you would draw you away from your proper time line.”

“So you hid on my ship rather than present yourself and identify the problem to me. What have I ever done to you Ohila to deserve that lack of respect? You will understand my scepticism because I am damn sure the Sisterhood would have found many uses for a Time Lord enthralled to you.”

Ohila could see the Doctor was angry and felt betrayed. 

“We are kinsmen,” the Doctor’s reminded, “yet this is how you treat me, someone you have no reason to distrust. Now go with Travin and Handy. You can get refreshments but if you lay one finger on them, or try any tricks you will be sorry.”

Ohila nodded. She felt sorry for him. The Doctor always seemed to be earmarked for sacrifice. She gave him the ancient bow afforded to Time Lords and she gave it respectfully. 

His voice weary he turned to ask Handy and Travin if they’d mind.

Handy agreed for the two of them but, to the Doctor’s surprise, he offered an opinion on the whole matter.

“Doctor, whatever that was speaking through Rose... it said she created it to protect you. Even though I didn’t understand it all, I know Rose would never sacrifice others to protect you. She don’t do things that way. No, no she doesn’t. She would have done it proper. She would make sure she found a way to protect you that didn’t require other’s to die! That’s not her nature. If she couldn’t find a way she’d have left it alone and tried to do it herself, in the moment, with you.”

It was clear the Doctor had listened closely to Handy and that he was thinking about it. “Thank you Handy. That sure sounds like what my Rose would do.”

Relieved to find Rose was just exhausted and not physically damaged, he carried her to her room and laid her softly in bed and then crawled in behind her just so he could hold her and think. Her presence calmed him and he needed to rationally analyze what he should do next.

Ohila had overdone it but that was typical and he was convinced she truly believed his time line was wrong, altered somehow. He’d never known her to deliberately thwart time lines and she certainly understood the consequences. But was she right? That was still an open question.

He wasn’t exactly neutral about the issue. Here he was with Rose, his bond mate humming in his mind, and his arms wrapped around her. It was hardly the right way to make an impartial decision. It wasn’t even the right way to identify and analyze the facts. No matter how he tried he couldn’t leave her and he couldn’t escape his belief in Handy’s assessment. Rose wouldn’t have sacrificed others just to stay with him. It wasn’t her nature. 

Rose struggled towards wakefulness sensing her bond mate’s disquiet. “What is it Doctor? Don’t ya believe me?” she murmured sleepily..

“I believe you Rose, just not sure about your alter ego. If a Time Lord’s time line has been altered it’s a serious thing.”

“Reapers?” she asked. He nodded snuggling into her.

“Well, innit likely they’d be here by now?”

“Depends when the rupture in time has it’s first impact.”

“Watcha gonna do?”

“Try to figure it out somehow.”

Tears slit silently down Rose’s cheeks. She hoped he wouldn’t sacrifice them for a misguided sense of duty. She did not speak again knowing she shouldn’t try to influence him. Her heart and mind finally succumbed to exhaustion and sleep overpowered her. 

Before long he too drifted into sleep. When her dream started he was pulled into it, blissfully unaware of what was to come until it was too late. His mind and body stiffened in horror as the images of Cyberman and Daleks filled the room flying past into the void. He was screaming as Rose lost hold of her anchor and flew from him into another universe behind a white wall. He grasped the whole of it just as he woke panting and gasping. Rose was still lost in her dream, her panic evident in her whimpers and twitches.

Calling to the TARDIS, the Doctor tried to calm himself. “How is it I can see my future through Rose?”

His ship usually communicated with him in images because it was simpler and he was always keeping her busy. He was always creating disruptions wherever he went, and he went lots of places because he was needed in lots of places. It kept her busy. Now he wanted her to communicate in their native tongue.

“The little wolf dreams and you saw because you are bonded to her. But you know this. Therefore, your question was frivolous and unnecessary.”

Tamping down his inclination to rebuke her, because she had a point and he was scared of losing Rose, he asked, “How do I know which time line must be respected? I can’t just satisfy myself and keep her if it’s not meant to be. You know that!” he answered in frustration.

“She asked for the power to save you and agreed to swallow the vortex.”

“But I took the vortex out of her?”

“Yes. Just as she gave her life to save you, you gave yours to save her. She was willing to die for you so I chose her for you. I left a tiny spark of the vortex in her that you did not perceive. I sorted and sifted the time lines, showed her how to protect the fixed points and the path that permits you two to be together. I showed her the path that offers freedom to create a future generation of promise. The time lines were bent in your favour.”

“But...”

“Then I granted her the three things she most wanted. She did not want you to be alone. She wanted you to have a protector and she wanted you to be happy.”

“And how did you accomplish that?”

“I use that tiny spark within her to connect her to the vortex. She created the Bad Wolf to be the energy control valve. She said when you repair what you break on me, you always tell her the energy control valve is broken so she made Bad Wolf to be the energy control valve so the vortex cannot destroy her. She is clever and worthy of you.”

“But what activates the vortex in the first place?”

“The little Wolf has clever instincts,” the TARDIS cooed which surprised the Doctor because the TARDIS tended towards grumpiness. 

“She said she wanted me on remote control so the spark within her could access the vortex through me when needed. I strengthen the spark with the vortex when she calls and the Bad Wolf regulates the power.”

Gobsmacked, the Doctor barely choked out, “what about the others things she asked for?”

“By reason of the spark that remains she will be long lived and able to conceive from your seed. Thus you will not be alone, and you will be protected and you will be happy!”

Tears slid down his cheeks but he was overjoyed and astonished at all that Rose had done!

“Rose, Rose,” he shouted, “wake up! It’s time for me to give you my true name!”


	30. Chapter 30

Rose, Rose,” he shouted, “wake up! It’s time to give you my true name!”

When he heard no response from her he pushed up and down on the mattress creating a bouncing rhythm that eventually resulted in an irritated growl, “Whaaaa?”

“Rose, I have to give you my name now. Wake up!”

Her eyes squinted into slits and it was obvious she was being painfully ripped from deep sleep. “Please... not now Doctor. I gotta sleep,” she moaned, her hair a tossed mess, “I’m not up to a simultaneous orgasm right now.”

“Simultaneous orgasm? No, no there’s no time for that right now Rose.”

“But you said...”

“Yes, yes but I just wanted to make the name-giving truly memorable.....I’ll just take the short cut under the circumstances,” the Doctor explained.

“I’m gonna kill ya,” she moaned.

“Don’t be silly Rose. You can’t kill your bond mate! Your bond with me would make that impossible. So you see, once bonded, if you have serious differences you talk it out or stay away from each other and there’s a restriction to how far apart you can be or it’ll hurt. Thus a bond carries the incentive to work out any disagreements quickly....Rose?”

“Are you still talkin’?”

Then she saw and heard it in her mind. The symbol of his name in the circular Gallifreyan language seemed like a wheel within a wheel within a wheel, each turning and spinning like a gyroscope. She understood from the spinning wheels image his ingenuity, his inventiveness and thought of it as that sparkling brilliance that seemed to get him out of traps and snares not to mention successfully devising the same for his enemies. 

But his name was more than a written symbol. It was a sound and like the written name it was a sound within a sound within a sound. The top note sounded like the high pitch of his voice when he was surprised or filled with wonder and it sounded like the clear note of a silver bell. The middle note sounded like a gifted tenor holding a note that made her think of heroism, courage and strength. The bass note was faith and hope and his love for her and it made her feel warm, safe and cherished.

She wondered how she could repeat these sounds, say his name to him, but somehow she knew that when they were together, in their minds, she would know and she would sing it perfectly. The name rippled through her as if her every cell heard it and recognized it. It lifted her and reassured her too. His name would always give her strength.

“It’s amazin’ Doctor, so beautiful,” she whispered. “I love you Doctor and I always will.”

He bent to her lips and whispered, “Sleep Rose. I am yours through time and all my regenerations.”

Rose fell into an instant, deep, sleep. 

“You’re not the only one with a remote control!” he chuckled.

The Doctor was elated, so giddy his stomach was flip flopping with excitement. He knew there was no one more qualified than his TARDIS to confirm that a future with Rose was possible that would not harm the time lines. Now the way was bright and full of possibilities, free from his ancient enemies, for the near future at least. Even better, Rose could have children with him.

He raced to his console room, where he was most comfortable. For the next two hours he scanned information sources, made phone calls, landed his ship on various planets and took off again until he was satisfied all was as he wanted it to be. Bubbling with enthusiasm he set off to find Travin, Handy and Ohila. 

Rose hummed steadily in his mind even though she was fast asleep. He felt like a new man in love with his life once again. This was the way it was supposed to be, like the way he was supposed to be. He was sure of it and his time sense confirmed it.

Sweeping into the library he announced, “All right you lot, we’re going places. First stop is Karn.”

“You’ve made a decision then?” Ohila asked.

“I have,” the Doctor declared. “I understand your concern and why you thought I was compromised but I’ve consulted a higher authority. The sacred flame showed you what would be had I not bonded with Rose. But it is an alternate time line. The time line I am in now is the correct one, the one that ensures no fixed points in time are damaged.”

“May I ask what authority you consulted?”

“The only living being in this universe that can see all of time, read the vortex and see threatened and breached time lines....my TARDIS. I should know given the number of times she sends me to fix them!”

Ohila nodded and gave a slight bow. “You may not believe me Doctor but I am pleased for you and I apologize for my....zeal...in pursuing what I thought was necessary. I truly believed you were out of your time line.”

The Doctor nodded. “You may be able to make it up to me Ohila. I have reason to believe my ship will soon need to reproduce. With Gallifrey gone, it seems the only compatible location to her needs is Karn. May I count on the Sisterhood to allow her access.” 

Ohila was momentarily shaken and she gasped, “You and your ship will be welcome. We would protect her progeny with our lives. Such an event would be celebrated on Karn.”

Except for the Daleks, the Doctor didn’t hold grudges so the departure of Ohila was reasonably amicable when he dropped her off on Karn. From there he landed the TARDIS on a lovely little planet with an odd name. It was called Herculean for some reason. Nevertheless, it had stable, peaceful time lines and steady growth in it’s future. It was perfect for Travin and Handy. 

He remembered Rose’s lesson about letting them decide so he wouldn’t mention he’d put an enormous deposit on a perfect home there. With the agreement of the owners, the size of the deposit would prevent the sale to anyone else for three days. If, the Doctor decided not to buy it, the owners would receive a generous bonus for their three days of inconvenience and his deposit would be returned. 

Then he went to the galley and put a roast together sliding it into the cooker, stopped by the library where Travin and Handy were singing along to Lion King and told them dinner would be in two hours and he would have news for them.

Sensing Rose was waking he headed off to her room finding her stretching luxuriously and yawning. Rose was always at her best after sufficient sleep. She could be real grumpy if she didn’t get enough sleep.

He plopped into her bedside chair and she rolled over to face him running her fingers through her tangled hair.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

With her characteristic grin she nodded. “Watcha get up to Doctor while I was out of it?”

“Oh not much,” he grinned, drinking her in knowing she was well and truly his. “I took Ohila home, found a good planet for Handy and Travin. Oh, and I got them each jobs and put a deposit on a house for them. Assuming they like it, I have a deposit on it but there’s no obligation to buy and guaranteed return of my deposit and I put a roast in the cooker.”

“Blimey,” Rose exclaimed, “how long was I out for?”

“Oh, almost forgot, the TARDIS intends to give birth on Karn.”

Rose shot up from the bed in shock.

Of course the Doctor had designed his last comment to galvanize her into action so he slipped out the door saying over his shoulder, “Chop, chop Rose. Best get a move on. Life’s passing you by. All will be revealed at dinner.”

“You daft alien! Can’t ya think of a way to get my blood runnin’. Hint, hint!”

She saw the Doctor hesitate. Then, with mock indignation, he sniffed, “I’m not just your plaything Rose, at your beck and call whenever you need to be serviced.”

“Yeah, you are too! You’re the chauffeur and my plaything!” Rose replied cheekily.

She watched him turn in the hallway and fix her with his dark eyes. “Fair enough but not this time because I’m not having that roast burn!”

As he left she yelled after him, “Watcha got against quickies anyway?”

She heard him laugh as he walked away!”


	31. Chapter 31

Knowing the Doctor had an announcement to make over dinner the lads were excited although it didn’t seem to impede their enthusiasm for the Doctor’s roast beef dinner with Yorkshire puddings, carrots, fresh peas and whipped, seasoned potatoes with gravy. The Doctor had uncorked a fine bottle of full bodied red wine.

Everyone was gobbling it up. No one was talking. They were eating and the Doctor figured their reaction was a perfectly acceptable compliment.

Travin announced he’d never eaten better to which Handy heartily agreed. 

Rose whispered in his mind, “Later I’m going to lick you all over Doctor! Blimey this is good.” His eyebrow shot up in surprise and interest.

Unable to contain his exciting news any longer, the Doctor tried to look nonchalant as Rose moved the dishes into the dishwasher and put the tea on.

“Handy, I took the sample paintings you did to a few dealers.” 

Handy and Travin couldn’t hide their intense interest in the Doctor’s news. Handy steeled himself for rejection. But he hoped not because he didn’t want Travin carrying the full load of supporting them. 

Rose knew the Doctor was drawing this out because he had good news and she watched him enjoying himself.

“Well,” Rose prompted impatiently, “what happened?”

Casually he continued, “All of them are interested in buying your sample works and three are interested in contracts for future works. I’ve got everything written down here so look it over and you can let me know your decision and I’ll finalize the contract.”

Handy and Travin let out a whoop of joy. “Handy,” Travin announced, “you got a way to make a livin’ just with your talent! Don’t break them fingers now!”

Rose stood leaning against the kitchen counter grinning. Although he was playing it oh so matter-of-fact, she knew her bond mate was was bubbling inside. “Did ya sell the sample paintings, Doctor?”

“Yep,” he replied popping the ‘p’, “I did Rose.”

She glanced at Travin and Handy who were quite literally on the edge of their seats.

“Well, spit it out then Doctor. What did Handy’s paintings fetch?”

His composure slipped, he jumped to his feet as he yelled, “Three hundred thousand credits!”

Travin shot out of his chair with a shout and Handy fainted. 

Looking down at Handy who’d slid right off his chair to the floor Travin excitedly declared, “Doctor, Handy don’t even now how much that is! He just knows it’s a lot. He thought maybe 10 credits a piece.”

“Well,” Rose laughed as Handy came to from the cool cloth she’d placed on his forehead, “that was certainly dramatic news! You’re a rich artist Handy!”

Still looking dazed from the Doctor’s news Handy’s eyes grew wide when the Doctor crowed, “But there’s more good news you lot!”

This time the Doctor addressed Travin who had, at the Doctor’s urging, constructed several sample garments using the skills his father had taught him.

“Travin there’s a real posh tailor who lives on a lovely little planet called Herculean. I took the suit and fancy dress you tailored to him, told him you’d made them both in three days. He wasn’t an easy sell I can tell you. He caters to clients across the sector and does quite handsomely. He studied each of your tailored garments with intense attention to every every detail but after he was finished he offered you a job straight away at 1200 credits a week! It’s a beginning position so you can learn the ropes but he said there’s room for promotion and I happen to know he needs good tailors.”

The Doctor was tickled pink rocking up and down on his feet with an ecstatic grin.

Travin scrambled around the table and hugged the Doctor hardly able to speak save for repeating his thanks to the Doctor over and over. Rose couldn’t stop smiling. She was so proud of her bond mate.

The two friends were so overwhelmed by the torrent of good news they were shell shocked. Realizing they needed time to calm down and think things through Rose interjected with a suggestion before the Doctor could spring the house idea on them.

“Handy, Travin, I’m thrilled at all the Doctor has managed on your behalf and as far as I’m concerned you deserve it. But I think it’d be wise for ya to take some time lookin’ over them contracts and think about questions you might have or maybe anythin’ ya don’t understand. We can get together in the morning and go over it all with you. What d’ya think?”

They both nodded gratefully and Handy went to the Doctor and Rose. He was trembling with tears in his eyes. With a simple declarative statement he said it all. “You saved my life and you made my life worth living. Thank you.” He bowed his head in respect to each of them.

Their excitement was palpable as the two friends headed to the gardens with their tea and papers to mull over their new circumstances. Handy’s comment had touched the Doctor’s hearts because he understood what Handy meant. Rose had saved him and made his life worth living. 

“Doctor,” Rose interrupted, “I hope you understand why I interrupted you from your finishing touch....announcing the house I mean. They were just overwhelmed is all.”

“Not a problem. This way I’ll be saving the best for last! Hey, where are you going?”

“Just going to the laundry to drop off the table cloth and napkins. I’ll just be a mo’ then change into my jim jams ‘n I’ll meet ya in the library. It’s been a wild twenty-four hours yeah.”

Rose walked into the library looking forward to quiet time with the Doctor and she wanted to find out about Ohila’s departure but even more, the TARDIS was giving birth!? Why now? What was going on?

At the core of the library, where they enjoyed each other’s company and sprawled together to read, watch telly and enjoy the comfort of the fireplace, something was wrong. It was dark and the fireplace was cold. Strange, she thought, because she knew from their connection he’d been looking forward to meeting up. 

A spark of fear travelled down her spine when she couldn’t sense him in her mind. The hair on her arms prickled with goosebumps as the room became pitch black and she tried to navigate around the furniture to the wall. Every sense was electrified as she felt her fingertips touch the smooth, polished wood and she flattened her hands against it brushing them along the wall seeking the switch that would bring light. 

She couldn’t see a thing but suddenly she knew someone was behind her. Try as she might to stifle her shriek, a squeak of fear escaped and she couldn’t swallow because her mouth had gone dry. 

Then she heard something! Behind her, right behind her and she moved to strike but she was shoved against the wall and held. A voice hissed, “Silence!”

Rose struggled yelling for the Doctor and trying to wrench her hands free but the stranger held her fast, his hips and torso held her fast to the wall. He bent his head and bit her, just short of pain, sucking her flesh and she knew it would leave a mark. She sucked in breath trying to smell the stranger. But there was no scent, a total lack of any kind of scent. That wasn’t normal. Anyone would have some kind of scent. But there was someone who could control his scent not to mention what she perceived.

“Doctor? What are you doing?” She didn’t sound too pleased. “You’re scaring me!”

“Not scared, you’re excited,” he rumbled in her ear. “I’m giving you what you said you wanted.”

“A quickie?”

He nodded laving his tongue over his mark and slipping his hand into her jim jam bottoms.

“You scared the life out of me!” she accused.

“No, I awakened all your senses, to make you ready for me. You wanted a quickie remember?” 

She was under his firm control pressed against the wall, her fear morphed into arousal, with his fingers drawing her lubrications up through her most tender flesh to her bud, awakening sensations she was powerless to ignore.

“But, but...,”

“Sssshhh,” the Doctor admonished, “just feel! It’s more acute, isn’t it? You feel everything, the pressure of my body, my tongue on your neck, my finger just where you need it. I hear your heart, faster, beating faster, your blood rushing to your sex swelling you, making you so wet and hot,” he purred in her ear.

“I thought...you said...you...,”

“Hmmm? What’s that Rose? Cat got your tongue?”

She was squirming against his hand in her crotch, her breath coming in pants and she knew he was controlling her every reaction.

“I thought ya didn’t like....ahhhh...didn’t like quickies.”

“Never said that Rose...just didn’t want a predictable legover, in a predictable everyday bed,” he whispered. 

The sound of his zipper lowering seemed so loud, so exciting in the quiet, dark library. 

“I have to keep it interesting now don’t I?”

“Yessss!” she keened.

“Besides,” he crooned in her ear, lowering her jim jam bottoms to her knees, “quickies are just a snack to me, merely the hor d’oeuvre to proper fucking.”

Before she could react the sound of her knickers ripping filled the library and before she could complain he bodily lifted her, swinging her around and bending her over the arm of a plush chair. 

She was completely under his control, his fingers still working her. making wet squishy noises until she felt the wet tip of his thick length prodding her entrance. Disoriented and swooning in the dark, her heart was pounding and she begged for him with her tilted hips. Her need was like a freight train heading down the track when he slammed into her and she threw back her head and howled but the sound didn’t come out. 

Some strokes were slow, some hard and deep and all the while his skilled manipulations of her bud drove her unerringly toward release. When she reached climax her whole body seized in pleasure and she cried out. Driving in an out of her clamping spasms he felt his own release approaching with each fierce squeeze around his width and length. Then, with his last thrust, his seed burst in a powerful gush and the pleasure staggered him.

Still deep inside her, his head was resting on her back when he realized his thrusts had driven the chair off the carpet up against the wall. He hadn’t even noticed.

“Under him Rose groaned, “Okay, that was intense! And another pair of knickers gone!”

The Doctor laughed, “it was a terrific ripping sound wasn’t it?” He wiped himself against her jim jams and stood with only a slight wobble.

“That was only the snack Rose. Come on.” He took her hand and they left the library and her ripped knickers hanging off his desk’s table lamp.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. I cannot get that to update in the chapter summary above. It’s probably me. Anyhow I hope you enjoyed!

It was late, hours after they’d been intimate in the library. He was propped on his pillows watching her sleep, drinking in every detail of her face, fascinated that this commonplace girl from the wrong side of the tracks was thriving living with him among the stars and barely blinking an eye. She’d faced horrors but she carried on even when she was scared. Then, rather than lose him she’d sacrificed her humanity to become something new, something like stardust mixed with time all so she could stay with him so he wouldn’t be alone.

From the start he’d recognized the special spark in her that drove her sense of adventure and so appealed to him. But he had not bonded with her just because she shared this characteristic with him, nor because she was willing to sacrifice herself for him but because she loved him with her whole heart and he’d never understood how it changed everything to be truly loved.

All his life he’d saved people across the universe but always with a Time Lord’s impartiality, telling himself it was necessary if he was to protect his ability to make the hard choices. But she touched people, gave them hope and she was the braver for it. Even now he couldn’t help but realize how much he would have missed if she hadn’t made friends with Handy and Travin.

He swore he would do everything within his power to give her happy days and loving nights. Anything, he’d do anything so she didn’t stop loving him. The awakening of his physical desire had surprised him. From the moment he’d touched her on their way to the slave market his desire for more had raged as though, once loosed, it could not be contained. All those years of control and now the slightest signal of interest from her ignited him. 

She didn’t know he’d been there, in the dark, in the library, watching her surprise and fear barrel roll into writhing passion, just like he’d planned. Then he’d brought her here and pleasured her, taking her several times before whispering her to sleep. It was utter ecstasy to be in her body and in her mind. He wondered if he’d always be this hungry for her. 

“Watcha doin’ Doctor?”

“Watching you Rose.”

“Blimey, I wasn’t slobberin’ on my pillow was I?”

He smiled at her. “Nahh, even in sleep you’re lovely.”

“You been thinking deep thoughts I can tell! Ya haven’t convinced yourself you’re no good for me or anythin’ daft like that have ya?”

“Nope, I was thinking how lucky I am to have you and hoping we’d always be together, travelling the stars........Rose?”

He looked down at her to see her softly breathing gone back to sleep. She’d surmised he was okay and returned to sleep. Rose Tyler could sleep anywhere, anytime, just another of her superpowers.

He smiled into the darkness realizing he was happy, eager for tomorrow. He didn’t have to wait anymore for Rose to get up and join him for breakfast for he was in her bed and she would always be with him. No more wondering the corridors alone looking for something to do, something to occupy his mind. He was even looking forward to taking Handy and Travin to Herculean. Slipping down beside her he slipped into her dreams.

He woke bubbling with eagerness and leapt from the bed calling to her to get up because it was going to be a good day. Rose groaned and stretched finding herself slow and sore from their lovemaking but that made her happy because the Doctor was every bit as spectacular in bed as he was every day. Slowly she rolled out of bed knowing he would pester her til she was on her feet.

Since the lads had been on board the Doctor had prepared only healthy restorative meals. He could see the effects of his efforts in their general alertness and energy level when they joined him for breakfast. Travin arrived carefully groomed and in his best clothes, picked for him by Rose, because today he was to meet his potential employer. The Doctor smiled as he saw Travin tuck his napkin around his collar so as to protect his suit from any accidental drips. Handy was neat as a pin, hair carefully combed and dressed casually with his contract papers tucked under his arm. He couldn’t read but Travin could and no doubt he’d explained the papers to Handy.

Handy’s recovery had attracted the Doctor’s special interest for his physical and mental wounds had been severe but now his teeth were repaired, his bones set straight and most of all his mental state was stable with the quieting of his memories. He was shy by nature but now he smiled and even laughed and in time he would fully embrace his new life.

Deciding a treat was in order, since this was going to be a terrific day, the Doctor decided to prepare pancakes with all the fixings for everyone.

He could hear her footsteps approaching and quickly poured her tea as Rose needed a cuppa first thing in the morning before you could get much out of her.

Over breakfast Rose was the one who got things started. “So, how’d your review of the paperwork go?”

Handy looked at Travin, who usually spoke for the two of them, but he demurred, “Go on Handy, you wanted the change so you should explain.”

The Doctor looked up surprised, “Something wrong lads?”

“No, no Doctor,” Handy hastened to explain, “we liked the contract option you favoured but, well, I wondered if you thought it would be okay to ask for an...amend...amendment?”

“Sure, I don’t see why not. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I wonder if you think they would be willing to put a small plaque on each of my paintings under my signature?”

“Oh sure, that’s no big deal. What do you want it to say?”

“With gratitude to the Doctor and Rose Tyler.”

*******************************************

The planet Herculean was beautiful, blue skies, fresh air and peaceful, friendly people. Before long they were in front of the tailor’s shop. The Doctor was like a mother hen, eager to take his charge inside and get the deal signed and sealed. But Rose told him that would be wrong. Travin needed to have the satisfaction of nailing the offer himself, of knowing he’d earned the position.

Forced to wait outside, the Doctor’s nervous energy had him fidgeting and walking back and forth glancing frequently at the shop. He kept asking Rose and Handy what was taking so long as the three of them waited.

“Rose,” the Doctor whined, “maybe I should go see how he’s getting on.”

“Doctor,” Rose laughed, “you have to give them a chance to get to know each other. Best to let them get on. It’ll be okay.”

Naturally Rose was right and Travin got the job and liked his boss, mind you anyone was better than slavers. Soon the three of them were struggling to keep up with the Doctor’s exuberant pace as he led them to the nearby house.

Rose, Travin and Handy were gobsmacked. The three of them were running around the house which was absolutely charming and welcoming. It sat on a fair plot of land with wonderful trees, rambling rose like shrubs, even a separate little artist studio. The house itself was roomy and comfortable and welcoming.

“Oh Doctor, it’s perfect. It feels so right!” Rose declared.

“Travin excitedly noted he could easily walk to his job from the house.”

Handy was practically in tears but he whispered to Travin they didn’t yet have the money to buy it. Naturally the Doctor heard his comments and exclaimed happily he’d reserved the house for them and it was a gift from him and Rose.

Within three days the Doctor had finalized the sale of the house and given the lads the keys. Looking at the keys in his hands Handy whispered, “I have a home, a place that’s mine.” The Doctor’s grin didn’t leave his face for a long time. 

But then he was off again, this time to finalize the contract, returning with a significant down payment. Rose went with them to the bank and got their account set up, helped them purchase supplies and provisions for the kitchen and more generally the house with bedding, toiletries and the like. They all purchased furniture for the new house together and then it was time for Rose and the Doctor to leave. Handy had to start his paintings and Travin was to start his job the next day. The departure was tearful but included the exchange of contact numbers and the promise to visit.

That night the Doctor and Rose sat swinging there legs out the TARDIS doors watching the nearby galaxy turn. They missed Handy and Travin but it was time for them to begin their new relationship together. But the Doctor had a niggling doubt.

“Rose?” he asked.

“Hmmm?”

“Do you wish we had a house somewhere that was ours?”

“I already have a home Doctor,” she replied. “My home is you and the TARDIS and the stars. That’s everything I could ever hope to have. But...,” she said softly looking up at him, “what you picked for them was so perfect. I’m really proud of you!”

He sighed happily holding her to him.

In the years that followed the Doctor and Rose visited regularly and Rose knew the Doctor was drawn not just to Handy but to his paintings which never failed to absorb his complete interest. Travin met a nice lady in the village and married. She looked after them both. She loved Travin and cared for Handy and made sure neither of them starved since neither of the lads were any good in the kitchen.

Several years later the Doctor was visiting an art gallery while Rose was laid up with a common cold. As he wandered through the exhibits the Gallery Director approached him.

“Sir, I couldn’t help but notice you signed the guest log as ‘The Doctor’. Could you by any chance be the benefactor of Mr Handy Goodfellow? The Doctor nodded.

“We have one of his paintings here in a separate room. Would you like to see it? It arrived just yesterday and we are so thrilled.”

Like all Handy’s paintings the Doctor felt awe as he studied it noting the plaque tribute to him and Rose but as he studied the painting he saw it’s message, turned on his heel and raced for his TARDIS.

Landing the TARDIS behind the house he’d bought the lads years before, he ran to the end of their plot of land where he found Handy’s grave under a shady tree.

Handy’s life span had been shortened by his cruel treatment during his early developmental years. The Doctor had known all along having seen his timeline. He didn’t wonder why neither Travin nor Handy had called him. Handy would have forbidden it, not wanting to drag him away for a futile death watch. Besides he’d left his message for the Doctor on his gravestone. 

The gravestone read:

I was named Handy Goodfellow by Rose Tyler  
I was made whole by the last Time Lord  
They came from the stars and gave me hope and joy.  
I died without fear or regret.  
With my last breath I thanked you Doctor  
> > The Doctor stood there for a long time before Rose found him and took him to the library where they remembered Handy looking at his painting of them above the fireplace.


End file.
